The Flawed
by jumpernumbernine
Summary: The sequel to The Tragic Flaw. James and Lily are out of Hogwarts and thrown into a world at war. Together, they have to prepare for the dark days ahead, for through their love, there is hope for the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back. I've decided to write a sequel, so I hope ya'll like it. Now, I'll have to go ahead and warn you, updates will be much slower than my previous story, as I am still in the process of planning and writing this one, and I am very busy this time of year. Also, I'm going to cross country camp this week, so I will not be able to update until I get back. Please read, enjoy, and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter One: Coming Home**

"I'll be sure to write everyday, and I'm sure my parents would love for you to come and stay for a couple of days or something." James told Lily as they waited for their parents to pick them up from the station.

"Yes, I'm sure Jamesie's parents would _love_ that!" Sirius interrupted as he came back with a trolley.

Lily laughed at Sirius. "Alright, I'll make sure to ask my parents. They'll probably want to invite you to dinner sometime."

"Who, me?" Sirius asked loudly and obnoxiously.

Lily grinned. "No, but you never know, they might want to meet you."

Sirius grinned at her. "Well I would think so."

James smiled at his best friend and girlfriend, or, as he was getting used to saying, his fiancée. They hadn't told anyone yet, they had agreed to tell their friends all together, and Lily insisted that they couldn't tell her parents till her eighteenth birthday in August, so Lily was wearing the ring on her right hand with the Irish wedding ring James had given her on her left.

"And you'll have to come over for my birthday." James added.

Lily smirked. "Do I, now?"

James pouted and folded his arms. "Well, if you don't you won't get a goody bag."

"Really?" Lily smiled as James wrapped his arms around her. "Then I'll just have to come now, won't I?"

James smiled at her and kissed her fiercely, this was going to be the last time they saw each other for a week, as James's birthday was the twenty-first.

Lily was taken a back, as James's kisses, in public, at least, were usually soft, quick, and tender. She had responded by deepening the kiss, however, and was thus caught in a fairly embarrassing situation when they broke away due to Sirius's coughing.

They turned around to see both sets of parents waiting for them, looking just as embarrassed and then turning their attention to each other and starting a conversation.

Lily's face was red, and James's neck was pink.

"Well we best be going, I think." James's father started. He looked older than when Lily had last seen him, just a few months ago. His hair was grayer, and the wrinkles around his eyes were more severe. "We'll be sure to send you an owl, Patrick and Beverly. Come on, James, Sirius. And _no_, Sirius, you still can't drive."

Sirius made a sigh of disappointment as he pushed the trolley beside James who was walking a few steps behind his parents. He turned around to wave once more at Lily, who grinned and then faced her parents.

"Well." her mother started, as her father was now putting all of Lily's things quite forcibly into her trolley and not looking at her.

Lily gave a slight smile, mostly from nervousness, and then hugged her mother.

"It's good to be back!"

Her father smiled at her.

"Let's go, Lily, Bev."

The mother and daughter broke away before following Patrick out to the parking lot.

* * *

"So you had a good last term?" Beverly Evans asked her daughter at dinner that night.

Lily swallowed her milk and nodded. "Yes, everything went well, and the graduation ball was so…_magical_." Lily described as her eyes fluttered and she took another sip.

Beverly smiled at her daughter, remembering what it was like to be young and in love.

"So what jobs are you applying for?" her father asked, searching his way into the conversation for a safe topic, one that didn't involve romance and magical dances.

Lily looked up at her father. "Well, I think I'd like to work with diplomatic relations, or maybe in the court as a lawyer…I'd start out as an intern, of course. Professor Flitwick, the Charms professor, gave me some applications and I sent them in, they're waiting on my N.E.W.T. scores before they really decide on anything."

Patrick Evans nodded and went back to eating.

"And James is going to be an orator or something?"

Lily smiled. "James applied for the Auror Academy. They have to look at his test scores too before officially accepting them, which they will."

"They will? How do you know?" her father challenged, somewhat passively aggressive.

Lily grinned. "Because James is brilliant and amazing and can do anything he sets his mind to."

"Sounds just like you." her father replied with a small chuckle.

"James is welcome to dinner anytime." Beverly interjected.

Lily nodded. "He knows. Actually, his birthday is coming up soon, a week, actually, and I was wondering if I could go to his house for the day."

Beverly looked at Patrick, who thought for a moment, and then spoke.

"He may, but he needs to come and pick you up, Lily. These are dangerous times, freaky terrorist attacks, and you've said the magical world is in some sort of disarray, so I think it would be best if he came and got you."

"It's a _six hour_ car ride." Lily stated diplomatically, desperate to be allowed to go. "Why can't I just apparate there and have him drive me back, then he can come to dinner."

"Because…we were talking to Sam and Margaret, James's parents, and they've warned us of the dangers with apparation from Muggle villages to magical ones, I think it's best if James comes and picks you up first. He can stay in the guest bedroom overnight, if he likes." Patrick explained, darting his eyes to Beverly for support every few seconds.

Lily sighed and asked to be excused before she wrote a letter to James.

_Dear James (Precious),_

_How was your ride home? I hope well. Did you get settled alright? I just finished having dinner, and no, we didn't have pork chops. I asked my parents about going to your house for your birthday, and my father would like for you to drive and pick me up because he's concerned about safety. You are welcome to come the day before and stay the night so you don't have to drive so much. If you're too busy, I understand, and I can wait to give you your present when I visit you during the summer. Tell Sirius hello for me. _

_All my love,_

_your fiancée (Shnuckums)_

Lily smiled as she looked at the letter when she realized she didn't have an owl. She slapped her forehead in frustration. All these years, and she had neglected to buy an owl. Just then, a tapping was heard at her window. She looked up from her desk and walked over and opened the window. A large, brown owl sprang through the windows. The bird dropped the letter in Lily's hands and then went to sit on Lily's chair, which she treated like a perch.

Lily tore open the letter, anxious to read James's letter.

_My dearest Lily,_

_How are you getting settled? I just finished unpacking myself. Sirius is staying for dinner and then we're going over to his flat for the night. Hope you don't have to see too much of your wretched sister. Have you asked your parents about my birthday yet? I'll be ever so disappointed if you can't come. Well Sirius is calling, I love you._

_Love,_

_Precious_

Lily smiled as she finished the letter. James seemed to always have such perfect timing in everything that he did. She took the letter she had just written, thanking Merlin that she hadn't sealed it in an envelope yet, and responded to James letter. She then sealed the letter and gave it back to Rosemary after giving her some water from a dish.

"Give this to James." she asked as she let the owl out of the window.

She watched it fly off into the sunset and sighed before closing the window and heading back downstairs, Petunia and Vernon were coming for dessert.

* * *

"Sirius, your flat is a mess!" James commented as they walked through the kitchen, where dishes were rotting and a ghastly smell was emitting throughout the entire house.

Sirius shrugged as he did a bubblehead charm. "Well I never got the chance to clean up over the holidays."

James looked at Sirius with a shocked and disgusted expression.

"_Christmas_ holidays?" James asked, eyebrows raised.

Sirius thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I believe that was the last time I was here."

James shook his head. "Padfoot, you've got to learn cleaning charms, mate. Do you want a house elf? We have a few extra."

Sirius made a face through the upside down fish bowl.

"I hate house-elves. Sneaky creatures. Can't be trusted."

James smiled. "Just because Kreacher is so awful doesn't mean…ours are excellent, promise!"

Sirius shook his head. "No."

He was quiet for a moment more.

"Actually, I was wondering if we could be flatmates?" he asked, looking at James with pleading eyes.

James thought for a moment, he looked at the mess of the kitchen as he held his breath, and he dreaded looking at the other parts of the house. But as he gazed back at Sirius, he realized he couldn't desert his best friend, even if he was a pig.

"Sure, but could we get a bigger place? James asked. "With my money, and your money, we could do it, you know, and I think you only have one bedroom."

Sirius pulled James into a hug and broke away quickly.

"Yes! I was hoping to leave this dump; Uncle Alfred left me enough, so yes, I think that'll do." Sirius smiled triumphantly and gathered his trunk. "Ready?"

"Padfoot, you just can't leave this place like this, and besides, you have to look for a new flat first." James replied reasonably.

Sirius was about to reply when James's owl zoomed through the window carrying Lily's letter.

He scanned over the lines of Lily's neat loopy writing and smiled before looking up at Sirius.

"You got a piece of parchment?" he asked, grinning.

Sirius nodded and he opened his trunk and then handed James some spare, rather crumpled parchment, a half-empty bottle of ink, and an old quill.

James wrote a few words, signed it elaborately and then gave the letter to his owl, who looked absolutely revolted about carrying yet another letter across the country. James patted her head and gave her some water with a few words of persuasion, and she was off, however contempt.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked as he started to clean up the kitchen with the help of his wand.

James smiled. "Lily wants me to come and pick her up before my birthday, so I'll be spending the night at her place Friday and then I'll be back Saturday morning, if we drive fast. It's quite a drive. I hope she'll be able to spend the night Saturday night...I don't feel like driving that much."

Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Spending the night, are we?" he grinned wickedly. "Just how close are you and Miss Evans getting these days?"

James chuckled. "Sod off, Sirius."

"No comment, then?" Sirius asked.

James ignored Sirius and began to help him clean.

"Do you want to spend the night at my house tonight? Tomorrow we can start searching for a flat." James continued.

Sirius grinned again. "Alright, but I don't want to be as close as you and _Shnuckums_."

James glared at him quickly before getting back to the dishes.

* * *

"Vernon has just been made the assistant director of Grunnings, Dad." Petunia boasted as she took a sip of brandy.

Patrick Evans nodded and smiled politely at Vernon.

"Is that so? Well congratulations."

Vernon beamed and puffed out his chest in a proud way.

"Well it was about time, if I do say so myself. I've been working for the company for ten years, and assistant to the vice president wasn't just my cup of tea. I can handle big things, Patrick." he continued.

Lily took a large gulp of tea to suppress the laughter forming in the back of her throat and the instinct to make a snide remark at Vernon's last comment. His whole family was practically a herd of elephants as it was.

Petunia held up her nose and ignored her sister, and Lily could tell she was just dying for the day Lily would move far away from Surrey and never bother her again. Lily wasn't exactly trying to delay her inevitable move, either. Ever since the Dursleys had moved down the road, Lily had been keen on moving out.

"I'm going to be getting a job soon, myself." Lily added conversationally, attempting to rescue her father, who was nodding politely, from Vernon's typical droll conversation.

Vernon turned his head and looked absolutely revolted that his monologue had been interrupted by Lily of all people. Petunia glared at her sister but didn't say a word.

Lily smiled inwardly and continued. "Yeah, I applied for several at the Ministry…and as soon as I get one…I'll get my own flat."

Lily expected Petunia and Vernon to just stare at her like she was an insect, but her parents?

Then Vernon laughed.

"They won't let your kind work at _our _Ministry!" Vernon replied as if it was the most preposterous thing in the world.

Before Lily had time to reply to his ignorant comment, however, Lily's mother spoke.

"Lily, Petunia lived at home till she was married, and…your father and I, we were sort of…expecting you to do the same." Beverly Evans stated with calm, yet motherly demanding voice.

Lily shook her head. "No, Mum! I can't, I have to be…I have to be with magic, it's just not reasonable for me to stay here…and risk your safety and the safety of our neighbors! I can't!"

"Don't you think it's just as risky as living by yourself? You'll have no one to protect you or watch out for you, or just to keep you company." Patrick added.

Lily's green eyes flashed with anger as she sat back in her seat. Vernon and Petunia looked just as perturbed, as the conversation passed through tense air as if they weren't even in the room.

"Dad, Mum, I have to be able to live with magic!" she protested. "I just have to! I know how to take care of myself!"

Beverly and Patrick exchanged a look and Patrick sighed as he laid his fork on his plate and looked at his youngest daughter.

"We'll write to the Potters and see what they think. What is Allison doing? We could write the Prewitts too."

"Allison's probably living at home, but it doesn't matter for her because she already lives in the magical world!" Lily explained dreading every moment of the confession.

Beverly nodded. "We'll write the Potters then. Next time James's owl comes, let me know."

Lily nodded before asking to be excused. She cleared her place as well as her father's, as he was done eating as well, and then walked slowly up to her room.

Rosemary was waiting at her window for her, quite patiently for an owl.

Lily opened the window and then went to go tell her mother to write whatever she needed to the Potters.


	2. Dinner Visits and Birthday Parties

**A/N: I'm back and posting! Yay! Sorry for the wait…I've been at cross country camp and then I've been completely exhausted from cross country camp…so. I'm just tired. I'll try to post again soon…sooner than this one took, at least. SO please read…enjoy…and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter Two: Dinner Visits and Birthday Parties**

"Lily, quit looking out the window and come help me set the table." Beverly Evans scolded on Friday evening.

Lily looked away from the window and dropped the white curtain, letting it fall back into its place and went to the dining room to help her mother, not without glancing back at the window. Patrick Evans looked up from his paper where he was reading it in the living room and shook his head with a sigh.

The doorbell rang as soon as Lily began helping her mother set the places and she dropped a fork and ran for the door, slowing down as she reached the door and checking her reflection in the mirror next to the entrance before answering.

Patrick Evans just looked out from his paper and chuckled.

Beverly just sighed from the kitchen.

"Hey." Lily greeted as she opened the door, giving a calm composure even though every inch of her insides was aching with longing and excitement at not seeing James for so long—six days.

"Hi." James replied as Lily ushered him inside and closed the door behind him. James looked at Lily and to her lips but Lily shook her red head and motioned to the couch where her father was sitting.

James pouted and then smiled.

"Hello, Patrick."

Patrick Evans looked up from his paper yet again and folded it.

"Ah, hello James. Dinner should be on the table in a moment."

Mr. Evans then proceeded to stand up and walked into the dining room, leaving the two teenagers alone.

James reached for Lily as soon as Mr. Evans had left the room. Lily smiled and pretended to pull away, but James dove for the kiss anyway, and Lily complied.

She broke away smiling. "Dinner is ready." she whispered.

"It smells good. Pork chops?" he asked expectantly.

Lily grinned. "Of course! My mother thought a cold noodle salad would have been more summer like, but I insisted on pork chops on the grounds that it was your absolute favorite."

"Lily, James, dinner is ready!" Lily's mother called.

James almost bolted for the kitchen, but slowed down when he realized how far behind Lily was from him and let her catch up before pulling a chair out for her.

Once he was seated and the food had been passed around, the expected dinnertime conversation began.

"So James, it's absolutely alright for Lily to stay at your house tomorrow night?" Beverly asked.

James nodded. "Yes, it's fine. My parents were delighted."

"And parents will be there?" Beverly asked.

"My mother will be, yes." James replied. "My father will be for a little while, but I'm sure he'll be called out from the Ministry."

Beverly and Patrick nodded.

"And my parents gave me a letter to give you both." James added as he remembered. "I have it in my pocket; I'll give it to you after dinner."

"Oh, that's fine." Beverly smiled. "Thank your parents for me for replying so quickly. I hadn't expected a reply so soon."

"My Mum loves having things to do; it keeps her from thinking about my father." James replied honestly.

"It must be terrible to have that kind of worry." Beverly remarked with sympathy. "Mind, it's not like the Muggle world is the safest place right now either."

"Yes, it's bad all over." James replied before smiling. "But you have to look for the bright things in life in times like these. It's what keeps us going. It's what makes us certain that times will get better."

"I'm glad you're so hopeful, James." Lily's father said with a smile, and with his words dinner passed by quickly and pleasantly.

XX

"Now drive safely." Lily's mother told James as he came down the stairs with his over night bag with Lily trailing him with hers in hand early the next morning.

James smiled. "Of course. I'll have Lily back tomorrow afternoon."

Beverly smiled at her daughter and James. "Alright then. Have a good day, you two. And happy birthday, James."

"Thanks for everything, Beverly." James added as he and Lily made his way out the door, with Lily hurriedly following behind him, anxious to get out of her mother's leering eyes.

"Anytime." Beverly replied with a wave as she watched James and Lily get into the car, then shutting the door behind her as she returned to her house.

Lily let out a long sigh as she and James sat in the car for a second.

"She's been driving me mad for the past week, I asked if I could get my own flat and she went completely nutters and has been asking me odd questions all week…'Do you know how to grocery shop?' 'what do you do in case of a fire?'"

James grinned at Lily and leant in and kissed her, hard.

After a few minutes of relative silence, James and Lily broke away.

"I've been waiting to kiss you all week." James breathed. "And don't worry, my mum wrote back to yours, and she explained that having your own flat was completely logical, and that if it was any ease, you could be flatmates with Charlotte, since she's going to be working for the Ministry here in London."

Lily grinned excitedly and kissed James again. "Thank-you, and remind me to thank your mother."

"As long as you don't thank her like that, then yes." James remarked as he started the engine.

Lily laughed as they pulled away from her house.

"Happy birthday, James."

XX

They rounded the corner to James's house at lunchtime, Lily's heart lifted as she saw the gigantic Potter Mansion standing so elegantly on the hill.

James pulled the sleek black Mercedes into the drive and parked the car.

"Ready?" he asked.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "For what?"

James smiled. "I think Sirius was going to throw me a surprise party, he was acting all dodgy yesterday…asking odd questions."

Lily grinned. "Really? Do you not like surprise parties?"

"Not really." James replied honestly as he got out of the car and opened the door for Lily.

He inhaled as he held her hand that wasn't carrying her bag and led the way up the steps. He felt his hand around her fingers, and was surprised not to find a ring there. It was her right hand, after all.

Before they reached the door, he turned to Lily to ask.

"Lily, where's your ring?" he asked, fearful that she had something to tell him…like there engagement was off. What a cruel birthday present that would be.

Lily smiled at him and reached for her necklace and pulled it out from her blouse, the gold ring which was encrusted with diamonds was safely looped through her silver necklace.

"Petunia kept staring at it strangely and I didn't want her to bring it up at dinner or anything." Lily replied easily before dropping it back down her front.

"Did I scare you?" she grinned, knowing very well she had.

James's expression relaxed and he smiled. "Of course not, I knew you had done something creative…"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, James. Not now, not ever. Not after spending all these months getting used to you running your fingers through your hair."

James grinned and gave her a quick kiss before opening the door to his house.

He looked around frantically, waiting for Sirius to jump out from some odd corner and cackle madly before shouting "Happy Birthday, Prongs!" But none came. The house was unusually quiet, but James chose to shrug it off as he led Lily up the stairs to her room.

"So, no surprises?" Lily asked as she followed him up the steps, smiling.

James shrugged. "I guess not."

"Why, Precious. I almost detect…disappointment!" Lily teased as she followed James to her room.

"I am not disappointed. _Relieved_, if anything." James protested.

Lily grinned and lay down her bag by her bed.

"I better go put my stuff up too." James stated.

"I'll go, too, I've never really gotten a good look at your room." Lily replied energetically.

James grinned and nodded before walking down the long hall which was full of old wizarding paintings to his room, where he opened the door, not expecting anything but his normal bedroom.

"SURPISE!" Sirius screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping right in front of James, who backed up, temporarily horrified, into Lily, who giggled.

James took a breath and looked around. Sirius, Remus, Peter, Charlotte, Allison, Ellie, and Jacob were all piled into his room, hiding somewhat badly.

"Happy birthday, mate!" Sirius called out while he patted James on the back and then looked at Lily, who was laughing at James's sudden dumbstruck nature.

"Hm…going into James's bedroom…I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." he said, grinning madly at Lily and waiting for her to reach out and hit him, or worse, curse him.

Lily quickly glared at Sirius and grabbed James's hand.

"See, they didn't forget about you." she stated, grinning as a smile broadened across James's face.

"I knew they wouldn't forget." James protested. "I was just expecting the surprise downstairs."

"Well we decided to be sneakier this year. The downstairs thing gets a little old after six years." Remus explained.

Lily laughed as James dropped his bag.

"Well do you all want to go downstairs? There's more room." he said.

The group nodded to each other and everyone got up and followed James back downstairs to one of the living rooms.

"So, does my mother know you're here? Is my dad home?" James asked the group, hoping for an answer as they all took seats.

"Yeah, we told her." Remus said. "She went to go check on the cake. She said your dad would be home later."

James nodded.

"It was bloody hilarious watching her explain to the house elves that they couldn't make your birthday cake." Sirius added.

James grinned as he thought of the house elves protesting back in the kitchen.

"Well you know my mother; she's got to make the birthday cakes around here." James said as he wrapped an arm around Lily.

Lily smiled and then turned her attention to Allison and Ellie.

"So what have you all been doing this week?"

Allison grinned as she played with a strand of blonde hair.

"Well, this week I tried explaining to my mother that I wasn't going to be living at home. She didn't take it to well."

Lily gasped energetically before being absorbed into the conversation.

"I did too, my mother really went off her rocker about staying at home till I was married like Petunia, and my father, he went on about the risks of living alone!" Lily ranted, feeling relieved that someone else had difficulty like her.

Allison's grin faltered as she played with Jacob's hand. "Well it's not the moving out part she was upset about…see I won't be alone. Jacob and I are going to live together!"

Lily's mouth dropped in surprise, but she closed it quickly and nodded with a smile.

"Oh, that's, that's wonderful!" Lily exclaimed as she grinned at the both of them. "Have you found a place yet?"

Jacob shrugged. "We've looked in the papers for a few places…I'm going to be working for The Apothecary, making potions, so I think we'll need to be in London. Allison is going to write for The Daily Prophet office in Diagon Alley, so I think it will all work out nicely."

Allison opened her mouth to speak, but James's mother entered the room, beaming.

"Well hello everyone! Lunch is ready and on the table." She looked over the room and saw James and Lily. "And James, happy birthday! It's nice to see you got Lily here safely."

James pouted before trying to retort to his mother, who smiled at him and walked back out of the room, not giving James time to defend his driving skills.

The group got up and walked to the dining room, or rather, everyone walked while Sirius sprinted to the feast.

James smiled after he took a seat and looked around at all of his friends, with Lily beside him, and he knew this was one of the best birthdays he had ever had.

After they had eaten, James's mother hustled in, holding a large Devil's Food cake with chocolate icing and red, flaming candles. Also in red, the letters "Happy 18th Birthday, James." were scrawled in his mother's handwriting.

"Make a wish James!" His mother exclaimed, happily.

James grinned and took a big breath before blowing out the candles successfully.

He looked up triumphantly, as if he had conquered some impossible task.

"Want me to cut everyone a piece?" he asked his mother, who was now holding small plates and forks.

"No, don't be silly, it's your birthday." she replied, and with a wave of her wand, the cake had been divided onto everyone's plates.

His mother grinned.

"The house elves were being impossible, so save room. I expect you'll have about five more cakes before the day is out. I'm going to go wrap some presents and finish up some paperwork for your father."

James nodded as he grinned at his mother, who scurried back out of the room and up the stairs.

"Well want to go open presents?" Charlotte asked in her rich, smooth voice that was laced with a French accent.

Lily noticed Sirius staring at her in awe and grinning.

James jumped up from his seat. "Of course!"

They made their way back to the living room before everyone realized there presents were still in James's room.

"Padfoot told us to leave them there." Peter defended as he trudged back up the stairs, dragging behind everyone.

Lily smiled. "And I left your present in my bag. I'll be right back!"

After a few minutes of waiting, the guests reentered, this time bearing gifts.

James grinned as he saw them and a period of twenty minutes passed where gifts were being shoved to James's hands and he frantically opened them.

He had received several items that would be useful for his training as an Auror, some things he would need around his own flat, and a gold watch from Lily.

"Thanks, everybody!" James stated as he stood up and put on his new watch. "It's been a great birthday."

James looked at Lily, and Lily understood what he was about to do and went to stand beside him and held onto his hand.

James cleared his throat and held on to Lily as they looked out to there friends.

"We have an announcement to make that will make this birthday even better!" James started, smiling broadly. "Lily and I are engaged!"

The conversation and laughter that had been echoing throughout the room as the news spread through the air, sinking into each of their friends' ears.

And each friend smiled.

**Thanks to…prongs, u-know-love-me, glowing-ice, Emerald Lily Flower, PhoenixFeathersx3, Zippy-Wings, Forest Unicorn, Ilirium, Lolly O'Neill, dreamergirl86, purebliss90, chikichiki, KTSweep08, PhoenixNS, Scooter5710, Pixiedust319, killerstorm, kaean, jillybean90, anonymously morgan, hoolihoopgrl131, and 2005girl for being extra special and not just reading…but reviewing! A cut above the rest I tell you what. Thanks for being patient with me as I post…**

**And even more extra special thanks to hcgolfinfool, my beta…who has done a simply splendid job!**


	3. Mysteries in the Garage and Wedding Plan

**A/N: Another chapter! yay. Anyhoo, thanks to all the reviews I got. I have a sort of poll question that will go with this chapter...What's Your Favorite Ice-Cream Flavor?...alright...personally, mine is strawberry or vanilla. but I also love chocolate chip cookie dough. Please read and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter Three: Mysteries in the Garage and Wedding Plans**

"How was your stay at the Potters?" Patrick Evans asked his daughter the following Sunday evening after James had dropped Lily off.

Lily smiled as she searched for a mug in the kitchen for her tea.

"It was great, James had a nice birthday and he liked the watch I got him." Lily replied.

"That's excellent." Patrick conversed as sat at the kitchen table with his mug of tea. Beverly was in the living room ironing.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter invited all of us to come up for a few days." Lily said casually as she took a sip, watching her father's expression at the idea.

He nodded. "Things getting serious between you and James, then?"

Lily almost blushed. Her father, in all his years, never seemed like the kind of man to talk about his daughters' relationships. She almost wished Petunia spoke to her so that she could ask her if he ever asked questions about Vernon.

"Well, we have been dating for over six months, so I'd say so." Lily answered as best she could.

"Then I suppose I could take a few days off work. When was the invitation?" he asked.

Lily shrugged. "Anytime. I could write James..."

"Well you do that, and your mother and I can go at anytime." Patrick Evans replied kindly.

Lily nodded with a smile. "Alright then…I'll right him now…Dad?"

Her father looked up from his tea. "Yes, dear?"

"You like James and his family, right? Mum does too, doesn't she?"

Patrick sat back in his chair and studied his daughter. "Well of course, honey. James is a respectable young man, and your mother is quite fond of him. Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure." Lily replied with a grin. "I better go write James and then I'll go to bed. Good-night, Dad."

Patrick Evans smiled. "Good-night, Lily."

* * *

The Evans' found themselves packed into their Volkswagen beetle the following Saturday at six in the morning. Patrick Evans had a road map out and was studying it carefully before they set off. With one final look, he handed it to his wife, told her to keep it out and they were off.

The conversation on the way to the Potters seemed to have only one topic. Lily and James's relationship. Lily was slowly dreading even _mentioning_ the invitation to visit the Potters.

"And you've been dating for how long again?" Beverly asked five and a half hours later for the third time.

Lily sighed and folded her arms. "Just over six months, Mum. Unless we've gone forward months in time, it hasn't changed in the last seven minutes."

"So you weren't dating when you went to his house the first time? Over Christmas?" she asked.

"No! We started dating the night we came back to Hogwarts. We were off the train and in the common room and we were just talking and he asked me if I wanted to go out with him, and I said yes!" Lily snapped at her mother in a quick rant.

Patrick Evans whistled to himself and pretended that the two in the car didn't exist.

"Oh, alright then." Beverly replied, satisfied for the moment and completely unaware of her daughter's frustration.

"_Is that_ _all_?" Lily asked tiredly, although she regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

Beverly seemed ready for the opportunity to take the questioning further. "Well what do you do for dates at Hogwarts?"

Lily sighed. "We go to Hogsmeade, the magical village you signed a permission form for before I started third year. You could go to Quidditch matches, but James is usually playing, and you could go for walks around the lake, or whatever." she stated in an even tone.

"That sounds nice." Beverly replied, still keen on ignoring Lily's annoyance. "Your father and I used to go out on dates all the time…"

Lily groaned and slid back into her seat as her mother droned on about the lives Beverly and Patrick used to lead, before Petunia and Lily were born and before Patrick had his practice full time.

Lily peered out the window and saw the familiar hill rising with the road.

"This is it!" Lily practically yelled, stopping her mother's one-sided conversation short, and making her father slam on brakes.

Patrick turned in casually and drove like he hadn't just come to a screeching halt, and they pulled into the Potters' drive at their expected time.

To Lily's surprise, it was Margaret Potter that greeted them at the door, Lily had have expected James to come rushing out towards her and pull her into his arms like in a scene from an over-dramatic Muggle movie.

Margaret smiled at Lily and told her James was out back by the garage with Sirius. She then graciously welcomed Beverly and Patrick into the home and told a house elf to go and retrieve their luggage.

The last thing Lily heard Mrs. Potter say as she searched her way through the vast house to the back was that she was going to show the Evans' where they were staying.

Lily reached the backyard and looked out to the garage, where Sirius and James were allegedly working.

As she approached the garage she heard Sirius and James muttering about.

"Padfoot, I think I heard Lily pull up, I have to go see her." she heard James's voice and smiled.

"Just hold this for a minute, Prongs!" she heard Sirius reply.

She then heard James let out a sigh of impatience.

"Hello, boys!" she called out before reaching the garage.

"Prongs, Lily's here!" Sirius exclaimed.

As she approached she heard more cluttering and then James appeared, wearing a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt that was covered in grease. He smiled at her.

"Hello!" He greeted holding his hands back. "I'd hug you but I'm filthy and I don't want to get you greasy."

"Well thanks for the consideration." Lily replied with a smile as she walked into the garage, which was surprising filled with tools, old car parts, and a motorcycle.

"What have you two been up two?" she asked in a curious but pleasant tone as she looked from James to Sirius, who looked far filthier than James did.

"I'm helping Sirius with his motorcycle he bought from an old Muggle. We're putting a flying device on it." James explained.

Lily nodded. "Is that all?" she continued with a curious voice as she peered around the place some more. James stepped in front of her and nodded.

"Yes, that's all. Let's go inside, shall we? Our parents are probably waiting for us…with lunch, and Padfoot and I better get cleaned up. We'll meet you inside in a few minutes." James said, smiling at her.

Lily backed away, grinning.

"You're hiding something from me, James Potter, I know it!" she exclaimed wildly before heading back to the house.

James chuckled and turned to Sirius.

"Well, let's change it back and put it in storage." he said simply.

Sirius nodded and flicked his wand, causing the toy car on the floor to turn into a real-life size Ford Thunderbird convertible that was missing several parts and a paint-job.

James proceeded to cover the car up and move it into a closed area in the back before he left for the house with Sirius following behind him.

They entered the dining room after cleaning themselves up to see Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Potter, and Lily all sitting at the table.

James and Sirius smiled at the group and Sirius felt obligated to introduce himself.

"I'm Sirius Black." he stated before taking a seat.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans seemed at odds of how to respond to this kind of introduction, they were used to simply shaking hands and exchanging names.

Mr. Evans smiled at him after a moment. "I'm Patrick Evans, Lily's father."

"Nice to meet you." Sirius said as he poured himself a glass of milk.

"And I'm Beverly, Lily's mother." Beverly Evans said after a moment.

"Well I thought so, you look stunningly alike. Except for the obvious hair color and eyes." Sirius replied, charmingly.

Mrs. Evans smiled and looked at Lily. "We hear that quite often, don't we, Lily?"

Lily smiled and nodded at her mother, and James could tell she was trying her best to remain polite and even tempered with her mother.

"Yes, we do."

James grinned as he sat down beside her and he felt Lily's hand rest on his knee. He looked at her and she just smiled innocently before putting her fork through a piece of melon.

Margaret then engaged Beverly in a conversation about Muggle gardening, and Sirius started talking to Patrick about motorcycles, leaving James and Lily to their own conversation.

"Guess what we're going to do tomorrow." James whispered to her.

Lily grinned and thought. "Hm, I don't know, play Quidditch?"

James's eyes lit up as if the idea had never crossed his mind. "No, but if you want to…"

"I was joking." Lily quickly replied. "But we could play later if you like."

James smiled. "I plan to take you up on that. No, I was thinking we could maybe go out to lunch…and talk about the _thing_."

His eyes then traveled to the necklace she was wearing and she smiled.

"Alright, but what will Sirius do? I'm worried he'll take my father to buy a motorcycle or something."

The two looked over at Sirius and Patrick, who were indeed talking animatedly about new motorcycles.

James turned back to her. "Charlotte should be back tomorrow, she was visiting her dad for the week. He'll be distracted. And he has his own motorcycle to work on…maybe you're dad could help him."

Lily laughed. "My dad work with engines and stuff like that? Hah! Give him a heart, though, and he'll work with that."

James grinned. "Well, my Dad will be around, they're usually guaranteed Sunday off."

"As long as he's entertained." Lily smiled. "I can't wait."

* * *

"Feel like ice cream?" James asked as they walked the streets of Diagon Alley. "I haven't been to Florean's place in a while."

Lily grinned. "Yes! I _love_ ice cream."

James laughed as they approached the shop and took some seats outside while Florean came to their table.

"I'll have three scoops of chocolate in a bowl with chocolate syrup." James ordered.

"And I'll have two scoops of strawberry in a bowl with sprinkles." Lily added.

Florean smiled at the two and disappeared to get the ice cream.

"You sure love chocolate, don't you?" Lily asked.

James grinned. "Yes I do, it keeps me healthy."

Lily looked like she seriously doubted this but smiled anyways. "So what would you like to talk about?"

James pulled his chair in closer and smiled at her. "I was wondering when you would like to have the wedding, actually."

Lily looked ecstatic and James could tell she had already planned it out in her mind.

"I was thinking a winter wedding. December or January." she said, her eyes lit with excitement.

James nodded. "That sounds brilliant, how about January? A nice start to the New Year, and all. That way we can have our one-year anniversary too. "

"That sounds like a great idea! So we'll set it for January. The first Saturday of the month?" she asked before she dove into her purse and pulled out a planner.

"That sounds perfect." James said, smiling as their ice cream appeared before them.

Lily grinned. "And I was thinking a medium sized wedding. Not too many people. Just friends and family."

James nodded as he pulled the spoon out of his mouth. "Yeah, mid-size or smaller is probably the best thing, we don't want to draw too much attention, seeing as things seem to only be getting worse lately." James's voice still possessed the happy, excited quality as minutes before, but something different…a grave undertone seemed to appear.

Lily bobbed her head in understanding. "Yes, we'll just invite the closest friends and family, and we can worry about dresses and tuxes and such when we tell our parents." Lily's eyes then lit up. "Do witches have wedding robes or wedding dresses? Because when I was little and I thought about my wedding I always had this mental picture of why my dress would look like."

James grinned. He knew from Charlotte that most young girls daydream about their wedding and their Prince Charming.

"Wedding robes, I think, but if you want a Muggle dress, I'll insist on it, and it will be okay."

Lily grinned, her almond-shaped green eyes twinkling and leaned over the table to kiss James, who, as it was an awkward movement, spilled his chocolate ice cream all over his lap when he tried to meet her half way.

Lily broke away laughing as James stood up from the cold shock to his lap, chocolate stain all down his pants.

"Oh dear, nothing gets chocolate out." Lily said between giggles and gathering napkins to hand to James, after a second, Lily seemed to remember she was a witch. "Wait!" she pulled out her wand and pointed it at James's pants.

"I do hope you know what you're doing." James teased, but nevertheless looked worried. "This is a very sensitive area."

Lily let down her wand and let out a giggle before pulling her wand back up. "Scourgify!"

The chocolate mess vanished immediately from James's pants and Lily moved her wand to the table where she preceded to clean up. James took his seat and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked, still smiling at the situation." The chocolate came off your pants."

"I know, but my ice cream is all gone." he pouted.

Lily giggled and scooped half of what she had left into James's bowl.

"There." she insisted.

James smiled delightfully. "I love you. I'll let you decide on lunch."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "This isn't lunch?"

James shook his head. "We can't have dessert for lunch! Dessert first…but as lunch? Never!"

Lily giggled. "I'm glad your mother knew how to feed you."

"Me too." James replied, smiling all the same.

* * *

**Much thanks to the wonderful, fantastic, and amazing reviewers...u-know-love-me, X.Little.Black.Cat.X., dreamergirl86, Ilirium, Zippy-Wings, PhoenixNS, SoSirius'sgurl3245, chikichiki, scooter5710, KTSweep08, and Kaean.**

**sappy1990: They will tell Lily's parents on Lily's birthday, when she will be legal in the Muggle world. Thanks for the review and keep reading!**

**myzteek: I've personally always thought of Vernon being a little older than Petunia. He was focused on career, success, and money in his young adult life, but now that he's closer to 30 than 20, he's looking for a wife just as unpleasant as he is. And Petunia is just perfect for him. Thanks for reviewing!**


	4. Unpacking and Flat Finding

**A/N: Hello! Here's the next chapter. As for the poll on the last one…I only had several votes, but they all had something in common…chocolate and a baked good. cookies and brownies and such. I'm going to dedicate this chapter to an asshole. The asshole that invented college applications. They are such a pain. And the essay topics are horrible. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to deal, like everyone else has. I'll try to update as soon as possible…until then…read and review!**

**Chapter Four: Unpacking and Flat Finding**

James and Sirius stood in the hallway with boxes and trunks surrounding them. They had just finished signing the final papers, giving them their new flat.

To the young men, it was perfect. It was located on the second floor, had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one small kitchen, a small dining area, and a living room for company. It was everything they wanted or needed. They were finally on their own. The flat was located in London, a magical flat that appeared like an old deserted café to Muggles, it had been advertised in the Daily Prophet and Sirius and James had decided it was the one for them almost immediately.

James smiled as he looked around and then gazed at his watch.

"Moony and Wormtail should be here any second to help unpack." he stated.

Sirius nodded. "Shame they don't want to live with us."

James shrugged. "Remus is working at Flourish and Blotts and that comes with a flat above the shop, so Mr. Flourish is letting him live there."

"No excuse for Peter." Sirius replied grudgingly.

"He can't help it if his parents want him to live at home." James remarked with a sigh as he heard two pops.

"They're here!" he exclaimed as a knock came to the door.

James opened the door with a grin on his face and he looked at his two friends. Remus was looking unusually chipper and Peter smiled modestly.

"So this is it." Remus stated, smiling.

Sirius nodded. "Yes, welcome to our humble abode. Please, grab a box and help unpack. With wands, of course!"

The boys chuckled as Remus and Peter walked in to get a good look of the place before helping unpack.

Two hours later, they were done, and Sirius and James looked around pleasantly at their new home. It was simple with a masculine air too it, yet there were a few objects that linked the household to a well-off family**- **solid gold goblets on the counter-top, for example.

"Would you gentleman care for a drink?" James offered to their guests in the playful ecstatic humor that comes with having your first residence.

Remus grinned. "Sure, a butter beer please. I'll just take my seat on the couch I helped unload."

Sirius went off to the kitchen and looked around.

"James we don't have any butter beer." he called out.

James looked towards the kitchen and called back. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Sirius replied. "Actually, we don't have anything. How do we get food?"

James thought for a moment.

"Well my mother always goes to this store in Diagon Alley, but I don't know what it's called. Maybe we could owl her."

"No! We can't do that. We have to prove to her that we can live on our own!" Sirius protested from the kitchen, still clattering about.

Remus just smiled and shook his head while Peter sat on the sofa looking around the flat.

"Well what should we do then?" James called back.

"I don't know!" Sirius shouted. "Let's just go to the store. Moony can come with us! I'm sure he knows what to do."

James nodded and then looked at Peter and Remus.

"Alright, let's go to the store!"

Remus just chuckled. This was going to be an adventure.

* * *

"I just think it's wise to wait to search for a place when you have a steady job, that's all." Beverly Evans told Lily as they walked down the streets of London, a copy of the Daily Prophet in hand.

"Mum, I got a letter that basically told me I had the job as soon as my N.E.W.T. scores came in. I'll be fine. And if I don't move out when it feels right, I might live at home forever!" Lily retorted, becoming slightly agitated.

Mrs. Evans looked at her in a way that made Lily think that her living at home permanently might not be that bad of an option. Lily sighed.

"Come on, we have to meet Charlotte in five minutes at the first flat." Lily replied as she continued to walk hastily down the road. She stopped abruptly when she came to a tall, imposing building.

"I think this is it." she said.

"Well it looks nice." her mother resentfully said. It indeed was a nice-looking building, and the streets did look safe. "Is it…is it magical?" Beverly almost whispered.

Lily nodded. "Well, it's located in Muggle London, so obviously we'll have to be careful, but since it was advertised in the Prophet, I'm assuming magical people lived here previously. It's not like an unplottable building like The Leaky Cauldron or Hogwarts, though. Muggles can see it as an actual occupied edifice. Charlotte's father is a Muggle, so I don't think it's a problem."

"Did I hear my name?" came Charlotte's friendly, sleek voice.

Lily smiled as she saw Charlotte. She was still somewhat awkward in her presence, as she had only really spent time with her at James's Christmas and birthday party. They didn't really know each other at all, except from what James had told the two about each other.

"Yes, I was just telling my mother that your father is a Muggle…my parents are Muggles too, you see." Lily explained, slightly embarrassed at being caught talking about her.

Charlotte nodded as she put her sunglasses into her purse. "Yes, yes, James told me…let's go in, shall we?"

Lily nodded and she and her mother followed Charlotte into the building.

Five minutes later, the three came hustling out.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to stay anywhere with _rats_!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Lily nodded as she looked back at the house. "I have to agree, it was completely uncalled for…trying to rent out the place with vermin crawling about."

"It did look pretty though." Charlotte complimented. "But _rats_!"

Beverly Evans shuddered. "I wouldn't have let you stay there even if you had overlooked that aspect. It's completely unsanitary."

"Next place, then?" Charlotte suggested.

Lily and Beverly nodded.

"Yes, just down the road a bit and make a left." Lily replied as she looked at the paper. "This one sounds nice, and I think it's about like this one…it _sounds_ Muggle."

"Let's go take a look." Charlotte said, once again, leading the way.

Forty-five minutes and three rejected flats later, and Charlotte and Lily seemed to have found the one, and even Beverly approved.

It was on the third floor in a Muggle building, which was owned by an old Muggle couple, it was well kept, in a safe location, and a block away from The Leaky Cauldron.

"This was just lucky!" Lily exclaimed as stood in the sitting area in the flat.

"I know! It wasn't even advertised in the Prophet, I'm glad you had your eyes open!" Charlotte said, equally as excited. "And we can be careful with magic, we both grew up in a Muggle house hold after all, and we're only a few minutes away from The Leaky Cauldron so we can apparate there…and oh, goodness, Lily! We can even have electricity and television. It's like the best of both worlds!"

Lily giggled as her mother took another long tour of the place. Her mother returned, and not having found anything horribly wrong with the place, smiled.

"It's perfect, Lily. Let's go ahead and sign the lease. Two years sound alright? I believe that's what the sign said." she asked.

Lily's eyes slightly bulged. She and James would be married and living together in two years. She looked at Charlotte, who seemed to sense her dilemma.

"Well, Mrs. Evans. Do you think that wise? I think a year would be much better…" she started as Beverly's gaze found her. "And, I mean, the couple downstairs…they're pretty old, I wouldn't want to still have the flat if they, God forbid, died and we were left with an absolutely atrocious land lord, and Lily and I wouldn't be able to get out of it…"

Beverly seemed to think this was a good idea.

"Yes, Charlotte, that is a brilliant point, I'll go have a talk with them." she then turned to Lily. "Lily, you are lucky to have such a thoughtful flatmate!"

Lily grinned and watched her mother hurry back down the stairs before looking at Charlotte with the utmost gratitude.

"Thank you, so much!" she exclaimed.

Charlotte grinned. "Well I couldn't let my favorite cousin have his wedding called off or anything. When do you plan on telling your parents? And James's? I'm assuming they don't know."

"On my eighteenth birthday we'll tell my parents. And then James's. It's just, you're not legal in the Muggle world till your eighteen…and I just want my parents to approve."

Charlotte opened her mouth to say something, what it was, Lily didn't know, as her mother had returned baring papers.

"They will allow a lease for a year, you just have to sign. They said move in whenever…but, I think you should wait a few more weeks at least, Lily."

Lily sighed. "Mum! I should be getting my N.E.W.T. scores this week, don't worry. I'll have a job. And Charlotte already has one as an assistant in the International Magical Cooperation unit in the Ministry…as she lived most of her life in France and all. And Beaxbutons gives their scores early so we know she's hired. Everything will be _fine_."

Beverly Evans resigned herself and nodded. "…Alright then. Let's sign and go…the car is at least four blocks away."

"Five." Lily corrected her as she happily signed.

Charlotte held in her giggle and signed as well, making their first contract to their first flat.

* * *

"Lily will be over in five minutes!" James exclaimed to Sirius as he ran through his flat, picking up dirty laundry and putting dishes in the sink with a few swishes of his wand every once in a while. He and Sirius had only lived there two days, and it was already a complete and total mess.

Sirius sighed and helped James, and in approximately two minutes, their place was practically spotless, well, as spotless as a place could get with Sirius living in it.

James took a breath and went to check his reflection in the mirror. Sirius just laughed at him until he heard a knock.

"I'll get it!" James yelled as he rushed towards the door.

"Of course you will." Sirius replied sarcastically. "It's been a full two weeks since you last saw ickle Lilykins. If you don't count the ten owls a day that have been flying through here, that is."

James rolled his eyes as he opened the door to see Lily standing in front of him, looking more beautiful than ever, and standing behind her was Charlotte.

"James!" Lily cried out before embracing him with a long kiss, which James more than readily returned.

Sirius let out a noise of disgust before plopping down on the couch. Charlotte made her way past the couple and into the living room to see Sirius lazily reading the Daily Prophet.

"Sirius Black reads." she said as an introduction, her tone playing between amazement and amusement.

Sirius looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Well yes, it's the only way to find out which clubs are hosting which bands."

Charlotte nodded as she played with her purse.

Sirius looked over at Lily and James who were talking animatedly.

"Want to go check out Diagon Alley?" he asked hopefully.

Charlotte turned to look at him with a smile.

"Sure."

Sirius hopped up from the couch. "Alright then, let's go."

Sirius made his way past James and Lily with Charlotte tailing him.

"I wonder where they're going?" Lily commented as James closed the door behind them.

"They certainly weren't planning anything." James replied, dismissing the two's actions. "Well there's enough dinner for three…we didn't expect Charlotte…I guess we should have. But that doesn't matter now…want to go sit in the dining room? It's rather small…wait! I'll give you the tour first." James continued talking as his thoughts shot through his brain.

Lily laughed and nodded as she held on to James's hand. "Yes, I want the grand tour!"

James smiled. "Well this is the _grand_ living room!"

He moved a few feet backwards and pushed the door to the kitchen open while holding on to Lily's hands.

"And this is the kitchen. Where Sirius and I fail miserably at cooking. We just learned how to grocery shop the other day."

Lily laughed as James then led her to the small dining room, complete with a table for four.

"The dining area, where Sirius and I share candlelight suppers."

James smiled and winked before walking back out of the dining room and kitchen, still holding on to Lily as they entered the hallway.

"And down here is the bathroom." James motioned to the first door on the right and then to the room opposite of it. "And this is Sirius's room."

They walked a few more meters until they reached the final door which James opened elaborately and bowed to Lily. "And this is my room. I have a bathroom too."

"How did you get the room with the bath?" Lily asked coyly.

"Sirius and I had an Exploding Snap competition and I won. He's still sore about it really."

Lily laughed as she looked around. James's room was still James, except there seemed to be a more mature reality about it. Instead of Quidditch posters being displayed all throughout his room there were pictures of friends and family. He had a blue patchwork bedspread instead of the bright gold and maroon combination that had taken over the décor of his Hogwarts room. His old dresser was in the room, as well as a nightstand and a chair.

"My Quidditch posters are in my closet." James said as he watched Lily look around his room. He laughed as he saw her smile.

"This is really nice, James. Your whole flat is really perfect. It suits you and Sirius." she commented as she felt James come up behind her and broke her gaze.

"Let's go eat some soup before it gets cold. I have to warn you, I'm not sure how great of a cook I am…for the past couple of days Sirius and I have been eating at home whenever possible."

Lily laughed as she followed James back to the kitchen. "And what, am I going to be your test subject?"

"Well I was hoping we could all be test subjects together." James smiled.

Lily giggled as she took a seat and James appeared with two bowls of steaming vegetable beef soup and a loaf of bread.

"It smells good." Lily complimented as James set the bowls on the table.

"That's always a good sign, but it can be misleading." James remarked with a smile as he took his seat.

As soon as James sat down, he stood back up. "We need wine!"

Lily couldn't help but laugh as James poured two large glasses in a French-waiter style she had seen in films, with a white napkin draped over his arm and tipping the bottle ever so carefully.

He raised his glass when he had sat back down again.

"To us, and our N.E.W.T. scores which should be pounding down our doors at any moment."

Lily grinned as she clinked her glass with James's.

"I hope mine turned out alright, I was going to give Dumbledore my final answer about the Order after they came. I didn't want to give him a reply to eagerly and then have him come up to me… 'Lily, you received a Troll in Transfiguration. We just can't have you in our organization. You're a liability.'"

James grinned at her. "Oh come off it, you did not get a Troll in Transfiguration. You know you did well, I bet you got an Outstanding, in fact, I'd bet my life on it."

"Well, maybe I _did_ get a Dreadful…" Lily continued, winking at James. "Have you written Dumbledore back yet?"

James shook his head. "No, I was going to wait for you…Sirius was going to send his today…Remus already did. Peter is waiting for Sirius and me, of course. I don't know about the others."

Lily nodded. "I haven't really heard from anyone else." She looked down at her soup. "I suppose it's safe to taste?"

James grinned. "We'll do it together. You can't mess up soup too badly."

"Alright then." Lily replied, lifting up her spoon. "On the count of three."

James grasped his spoon and prepared for the dive.

"One." Their spoons dipped closer to the bowl. "Two." The silver spoons dipped into the soup and came up with the broth. "Three!"

They each put their spoons into their mouths.

Lily let the warm broth trickle down her throat and tried to hide her face of disgust. The soup was rather wretched, but James had tried so hard.

James, however, was not going to act as if he enjoyed it, and made a face.

"That was absolutely terrible. I'm sorry I made you go through that."

Lily smiled as she dabbed her lips with her napkin.

"It isn't terrible…it just needs some seasoning or something." she tried.

"It was horrible, Lily." James continued. "Go ahead and say it. It really won't insult my masculinity…my feminine side is a different story…"

Lily laughed.

"Alright, it wasn't that good…but you tried! That's what matters."

James smiled at his fiancée. "Well as long as I get points for that. Should we go down to Diagon Alley? Florean might still have the ice cream parlor open."

"Oh! I love his ice cream!" Lily exclaimed.

"Well then, let's go." James stated, pulling out his wand and sending the rejected dinner to the kitchen.

"Ok, but next time, you're coming to my place, and I'm cooking!"

"Can that be trusted? I don't believe I've ever had any of your cooking." James teased. "I won't die will I?"

"Not tragically, at least." Lily replied with a grin. "Let's go."

"Alright, but I get to hold your hand!" James stated as he opened the front door for Lily.

"Well, I don't know about that." Lily replied. "Gilderoy was hanging around here somewhere…"

James's laughter joined Lily's as they walked down the steps of the apartment building.

* * *

**Incredible amounts of thanks to: X.Little.Black.Cat.X, Kaean, dreamergirl86, sosirius'sgurl3245, chikichiki, Zippy-Wings, scooter5710, Forest Unicorn, Emerald Lily Flowers, IAMSOAP, and glowing-ice.**

**myzteek: Thanks for the review, I'll try to read and review your story as soon as possible. **

**Lady in Red: It is an excellent cd…I found it while going through my older brother's boxes of junk…I guess it paid off, I found several cool cds. My favorite song right now is Pay for What You Get. It's good to know the people reading my stories have good music taste. I love the Postal Service…anyhoo, keep reading and reviewing. **


	5. The Results

**A/N: Hi guys. I'm posting. Yay, sorry for the wait…this chapter was ready a few days ago, but gosh. So much has gone on, and so much has happened. And I've been kind of down about it all…and then anytime I felt about posting or writing I'd just get down on myself. I'm usually not a dramatic person, and I usually avoid drama. But now it's just happening, and I can't do anything about it. And school started today. My AP teachers are nuts…needless to say, I'm going to be busy, but I'll try my best to keep posting regularly. Please enjoy the chapter, and review.**

**Chapter Five: The Results**

"Lily, I think an owl is here for you." Charlotte said Friday morning of the following week from the kitchen table.

Lily rushed out of her bedroom, still in her pajamas.

"That's a Hogwarts owl!" she exclaimed as the owl dropped an envelope in her hand.

Lily held it up, mouth open and silent.

"Open it, Lily, it's not a Howler or anything." Charlotte said, laughing at her flatmate.

Lily moved her mouth without saying anything before words managed to escape.

"…It's my N.E.W.T scores…I just know it…" Lily muttered.

Charlotte grinned. "Well open it then, you haven't shut up about those scores in God knows how long!"

Lily smiled weakly and held the letter in both of her hands. "Well, here it goes."

She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she tore open the letter. Lily inhaled while opening her eyes and then scanned the letter before dropping it in shock.

Charlotte reached for the fallen letter. "Is it that bad?" she teased as she read her scores.

"Merlin, Lily…" Charlotte murmured in amazement. "Ten Outstandings…what the hell are you on?"

Lily grinned. "I can't believe it! I even did well in Transfiguration! I've got to owl James…can I borrow your owl? And Dumbledore, I have to write Dumbledore! Oh, and my parents! They'll be dying to know!" she exclaimed in an excited voice.

Charlotte laughed and nodded. "Yes, Ralph is in his cage in my room…probably sleeping, but go ahead, disturb him."

Lily smiled. "Thank you so much!"

She then proceeded to prance all the way back to her room.

Charlotte just shook her head and continued to eat her cereal.

Twenty minutes later, Lily appeared back in the kitchen.

"Well I think we need to celebrate! How about we have everyone over here tonight? Is that alright? I mean, this will be one of my last nights without having to work if the Ministry is given my N.E.W.T. scores on time and they still want to hire me…" Lily rambled excitedly.

Charlotte nodded. "Sure, everyone hasn't gotten together in a while. It might be nice, and plus, you haven't seen James in six days. You two might die if you wait any longer."

Lily stuck out her tongue childishly before grinning. "Oh come on, Charlotte. I know you're just dying to see Sirius."

Charlotte decided to turn a deaf ear and began eating her cereal again; Lily just smiled before heading back to her room to get dressed.

"I guess that means I'll be needing to borrow Ralph again when he returns, to send out invitations." she called out.

"Go ahead." Charlotte called back before clearing her place and heading to the shower.

* * *

At quarter to six, Lily walked through their flat while putting an earring on as the doorbell rang. 

"I thought you told people to get here at six!" Charlotte called out from the bathroom.

"I did." Lily replied as she went to the door, wondering who would come this early.

She opened the door to see James grinning down at her with a bouquet of flowers.

"For mademoiselle." James offered, bowing in greeting.

Lily giggling, took the flowers. "Hello James, the party doesn't start till six, you know."

James smiled as he walked in and kissed her lips softly.

"I know." he replied. "But I wanted to be able to congratulate you personally before the others arrived." he kissed her again.

Charlotte walked in to the room to see the two and shook her head.

"I thought I heard James's horrible French accent."

The two, red faced and smiling broke apart and looked at Charlotte, who was wearing an elegant red dress that complimented her raven hair so well. Lily could have never worn anything like it, and was naturally impressed.

"You're early." Charlotte stated unnecessarily.

"Good evening, dear cousin. I was just dying to see you." he winked at her and Charlotte smiled and turned back to the kitchen.

"So how did you do on your scores?" Lily asked.

James grinned. "Ten Outstandings, of course."

"That's brilliant, James!"

James grinned at her, Lily was the type of person that could derive joy from others' success, it was one of the things he loved about her. And she looked so beautiful tonight, wearing a summer dress in a lavender shade. Her outfit contrasted drastically with Charlotte's, who had taken on a very sexy, mature approach to the evening, which fitted her personality perfectly. James, however, was content with Lily and her cute, friendly dress.

"I know, my parents were proud, and a letter from the Auror Academy should arrive any day. I wrote Dumbledore to confirm his invitation as well." James said as he strolled through the girls' apartment. "Care to give me a tour while we wait for your timely guests?"

Lily smiled excitedly. She hadn't had the chance to give a tour yet.

"Yes, follow me!" she said energetically as they walked out of the foyer area.

"This is the dining room, and if you follow this door you'll get to the kitchen." Lily said as she crossed the room to the kitchen, where she and James were now standing. "And we have sort of a bar type breakfast nook there." Lily pointed out before grabbing James's hand and walking out into the kitchen and into the hallway, where they then walked left into an open area complete with a couch, two comfortable-looking chairs, a coffee table, and a television. "This is the sitting room, where we sit." Lily continued before pulling James back down the corridor. "And Charlotte's room is to the left, she's got the master bedroom with the bath, but that's okay…and then to the right is the bathroom that I use…and then at the end is my room." Lily finished, James kept walking.

"Can I see your room?" he asked, grinning.

Lily nodded. "Well, I suppose it's only fair."

James grinned and walked into her room, where Lily's queen sized bed sat in the middle with her white fluffy comforter, a pine desk, a pine dresser complete with pictures and little collectables she had received as a child. Several tiny unicorns on the dresser top made James smile. To the left of Lily's bed was her bookshelf, which contained Lily's collection of books as well as the record player he had given her and her collection of records. And in the very far corner was Lola's cat bed that had Lola, who had grown a great deal since James had last seen her, balled up and sleeping. James walked over and bent down to pet her head, causing her to look up at him, almost smiling, despite the fact that she had been disrupted from one of her catnaps.

Lily walked over to him and smiled. "Yes, Lola likes it here…at home Walter went mad when he saw her, and he didn't like it here at all, so my mum is keeping him."

"Your place looks very comfortable." James commented. "When we get our own place I'll have to let you decorate. My flat looks completely disheveled and mismatching."

"That sounds like a plan. If I hadn't been a witch I might have considered interior design as a career." Lily smiled playfully and James was tempted to kiss her, he couldn't, however, as the door bell rang, announcing the other guests.

Lily and James entered the sitting area as Charlotte ushered their guests, Ellie, Jacob, and Allison into the room.

Lily grinned at her two best friends and went to talk with them. James smiled and then went to talk to Jacob.

"How were your N.E.W.T. scores?" Allison asked energetically. "I got four Outstandings and four Excellents, but I know you did ten times better!"

Lily grinned sheepishly. "Ten Outstandings. I couldn't believe it. Even in Transfiguration."

"Well it couldn't have hurt that you got your year's best Transfiguration student as your personal tutor." Ellie commented, smiling happily. Lily's cheeks turned only a slight shade of pink while Allison and Ellie just looked from her to James.

"Honestly, if you had told me this time last year that you would be engaged to James Potter, I would have turned myself into St. Mungo's and gotten you a referral." Allison said.

Lily laughed. "I wasn't _that_ horrible to him." But even as she spoke her words, Lily knew that they weren't true.

"Oh yeah?" Ellie said. "Do we really need to go into detail, Lily?"

Lily smiled. "Well alright, I was terrible." she then gazed over at James, who was talking to Jacob in a serious manner. "But I'm so lucky now, aren't I?"

"You are." Allison said looking at Jacob. "We both are."

Ellie made a sound of disgust at her two lovesick friends.

The doorbell rang again and Charlotte answered, to greet Sirius, Peter, Remus, and Grace.

Lily, seeing that everyone was present, called everyone to order.

"Alright, everybody. Charlotte and I have slaved in the kitchen for hours today, so we'll all go grab a plate and then return here…seeing as our dining room isn't exactly the biggest room in the house."

Sirius jumped up at the prospect of food and found his way to the kitchen, being tailed closely by Peter as everyone else followed in after them.

James appeared by Lily on the couch minutes later, smiling happily.

"You made pork chops!" he exclaimed happily.

Lily grinned as she spooned her potato salad. "Well I figured if I'm marrying you I'm going to have to cook my mother's pork chops."

James smiled and then eyed the television. "Oh! I love those!"

Remus, Sirius, Allison, and Peter, who had never seen a television, stared at it in wonder. Sirius took the bold move to run up to it and began playing with the knobs.

"I think I've heard of these before! It's like mini people stuck inside a box and they act out for you. It's simply brilliant! I wonder how they shrink people like that. Crazy Muggles…"

Remus and Peter were now watching Sirius intently as he pressed a button and the screen clicked on, displaying a comical show where the wife was being scolded by her husband in a foreign language.

"Padfoot, you're an idiot." James said brightly. "They don't shrink the people, they shoot real life sized people with electricity rays and it creates their image."

Lily, Charlotte, and Grace, being raised in Muggle homes just shook their heads. Jacob and Ellie, coming from Muggle-born parents, naturally knew what a television was, even if they didn't have one in their home.

"Oh, I love this episode! It's the Vitametavegamin one!" Grace exclaimed, making her presence really known for the first time that night.

Lily and Charlotte giggled.

"I love this one too, Lucy gets drunk!" Charlotte added.

"I just love Lucy." Lily replied. "And Lucille Ball had red-hair."

"How can you tell?" asked James as he squinted at the screen. "It's in black and white."

"I've seen pictures of her." Lily commented wisely, sharing a smile with James.

The group was soon sucked in the show and hardly said anything throughout dinner.

After the show was over and everyone was done eating, Charlotte began taking everyone's plates, Sirius jumped at the chance to help her and followed her into the kitchen with his own stack of dishes.

"I'm really proud of you, you know?" James whispered to Lily as they sat together on the couch, squashed between Peter and Ellie.

Lily looked up at him, smiling. "I'm proud of you too."

James smiled and leant in and kissed her, around them, Allison asked what happened to the people once the show was cut off and Grace tried to answer her, which was followed by disbelieving laughter from Peter.

When they broke away, James grinned mischievously.

"And I'm so glad you didn't go completely mad for nothing." he said, in mock seriousness. "If you had gone completely off your rocker and gotten ten Trolls I would have been _really_ worried."

Lily pushed him playfully and laughed. "Sod off, James."

James stuck out his tongue. "Didn't know I brought out such a mouth in you, what would your mother say?"

Lily made a face and then pushed him swiftly off the couch, making him land with a thud. The group, which had been previously occupied with the explanation of television sets and programs, turned and looked at James, sprawled on the floor, glasses tilted sideways, and Lily, smiling victoriously on the couch. James and Lily didn't notice them however, as they were in their own little world as usual. Not paying attention to his friends, James tugged on Lily's legs, and soon she was on top of him, hitting him, but laughing all the same.

Their friends just shook their heads with the same thought…those two were so hopeless.

* * *

**REVIEW!**

**Much thanks to JamesLilyTrueLove, IAMSOAP, FullHouse247, scooter570, Kaean, anonymously morgan, chiki chiki, dreamergirl86, Emerald Lily Flowers, Zippy-Wings, sosirius'sgurl3248, X.Little.Black.Cat.X, myzteek, glowing-ice, maraudergirl89, and Forest Unicorn for being splendid and reviewing my story. Sorry for the wait. Please keep reading.**

**And of course, a special thanks to my beta, hcgolfinfool.**


	6. Loads of Letters

**This story is dedicated to Bo Thompson.**

**June 9th, 1989- August 26th, 2005**

**I know you're running the streets of gold.**

**We'll be running for you.**

**Chapter Six: Loads of Letters**

A week passed since the arrival of the anticipated N.E.W.T. scores, and on this day, fateful letters were sent out to the recent graduates that had newly succumbed themselves into the magical world, at least, for the first time, on their own.

Lily was cooking breakfast in her nightgown when a small tawny owl flew in, delivering a letter on the counter-top.

She left the frying pan on the stove, the bacon momentarily forgotten as she walked swiftly to the counter to reach for the letter.

The parchment was a typical yellow, with royal blue ink scrawling out her name, and the Ministry of Magic seal delicately sealing the letter.

Lily held it up to the light, as if to predict the contents, before inhaling, closing her eyes, and tearing open the letter.

Just a few blocks away, James and Sirius were being awoken by annoying taps on their foreheads.

* * *

"Bloody bird." James mumbled while shooing the owl away. This particular owl was on a mission, however, and dove for James's fingertips, pecking them vigorously.

James sat up. "Bloody owl!" he rubbed his eyes from sleep as the owl continued to peck at him.

"Just a second." he snapped as he fumbled around for his glasses. Once his spectacles found their place on his head he reached for the letter and the owl zipped away.

He heard colorful loud swearing and knew Sirius was being awoken too.

James recognized the seal and inhaled. It was the letter that could make or break his future…the letter from the Auror Academy.

He tore the envelope delicately with his thumb and forefinger as if he was scared to damage the letter inside. He then pulled it out quickly and let it fall on his lap. He stared at it for a moment longer before picking it up and reading his future.

_Dear Mr. James S. Potter,_

_Congratulations! You have been accepted to the Auror Academy. Your N.E.W.T. scores proved more than satisfactory, and we would like to further this acceptance letter into that of the Elite Auror training program. This program, designed for individuals that have accelerated in academics and are known to possess great natural magical ability, allows one to get the required Auror Academy training in a shorter amount of time. I would like to discuss this further with you, so if you would meet in the Auror Department at the Ministry, my office on the twenty-ninth of July, seven am. I look forward to seeing you._

_Alice Longbottom_

James read the letter over again just to make sure he had understood it the first time. He had been accepted into the Elite program? His heart leapt with joy, and he smiled. He had heard of Alice Longbottom from his father, she was married to Frank Longbottom, and together they were two of the most unstoppable Aurors. Frank and Alice has also been Gryffindor seventh years when James was a third year, and he found himself hoping they didn't remember his reputation.

Just when he was about to scan the letter over again, Sirius rushed into his room jumping up and down, with only his boxer shorts on, his identical letter clutched in his left hand.

"Prongs! I got in! I got _in_! I'm going to be an Auror!" He exclaimed happily jumping onto James's bed.

James laughed and sat up and smiled before a horrible feeling lurched in the bottom of his stomach. _Was Sirius in the Elite program_?

Before he had a chance to say anything, Sirius had reached for the letter in James's hand.

"I know you got in, Prongs, if I did…you had three more N.E.W.T.s than I did and mine were only Excellents most of the time, and you were Head Boy!" Sirius said as he read the letter his voice trailed off, he then looked back up at James. "Wow. The Elite program? You'll have your training done in a year…it'll take me at least two…probably three."

James stood up and looked at Sirius, studying his expression. "Yeah…I don't know why they chose me though, I get into just as much trouble as you do, and we're practically equal in magical ability…loads of times you were better than me."

Sirius shook his head and forced a smile and handed James his letter back. "No, you deserved to be chosen…I mean, you did behave more…this year at least, and you were Head Boy. I'm happy for you Prongs."

James smiled, still unsure of how Sirius really felt. It was going to be different. He and Sirius, until this past year, had always been together. Being Head Boy had separated them at night, but even in the classes they had together, they always performed the same, they went through everything together, and it seemed now that their paths really were changing. In James's heart, he truly felt that it wasn't fair for him to be admitted into the Elite program, when he had only just aspired to be an Auror mere months ago. Sirius had desired to be an Auror for years, it was one of the only goals he had of his life, and here James was, with a letter that was going to make all the dreams Sirius ever had possible in a third of the time it was going to take him. James felt extremely guilty, and he felt even worse that he was happy for himself.

Sirius gave him a halfhearted smile and a pat on the back.

"At least you'll be able to figure out all the horrible situations before I go through them. Make sure you warn me, mate!" he grinned.

James grinned back. "I'll be sure." his grin faltered and he gave Sirius a sympathetic look. "It really isn't fair for us to not be together. I feel like it should be you with this letter instead of me."

Sirius laughed. "Well then, let's check and make sure they addressed them right! Really, James, it's alright, I'm proud of you, I'll be fine. I'm happy to just be admitted, I was worried that my surname would keep me out the Academy permanently, I'm grateful for what I have." With one final smile, he left James in his room, and a whole new horror struck James.

What if he had only been accepted into the Elite program because of _his_ surname?

James felt sick and decided to go take a shower. He would have to see Lily today; she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

* * *

Lily stood in her kitchen, still reading the letter. She was alone in her flat, as Charlotte had already headed off to work that morning, and there was no one to hear her give a little squeal of excitement.

She had gotten the job.

She was going to be interning a lawyer at the International Magical Office of Law. Who she would be following, she didn't know, but she had a meeting with them on the first of August, that Friday.

Lily smiled to herself and clutched the letter to her breast. She was going to be a criminal lawyer. She decided to head back to her room and write her parents and James with the news. Charlotte wouldn't mind if she borrowed Ralph.

Halfway through her letter to James, a small owl came swooping into her bedroom. Lily recognized it as a Hogwarts owl. It contained two envelopes of yellow parchment. One had Dumbledore's emerald green ink and loopy, individual handwriting. The other, which the owl dropped on her desk along with Dumbledore's, was in a scarlet. She recognized the neat, direct handwriting as Professor McGonagall's. Any letter from her alma mater made her anxious and Lily dropped her quill and immediately picked up the letters, trying to decide which one she should open first. After closing her eyes and picking one randomly, she opted with Dumbledore's.

_Dear Lily,_

_Congratulations on your N.E.W.T. scores and new position at the Ministry. Thank you for accepting my invitation. The next meeting will be at the Hog's Head, the second of August. Eight p.m. Ask the bartender._

_The best of wishes,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Lily folded the letter and laid it back on the desk. Never had she seen a letter so informative, yet so vague. Leave it to Professor Dumbledore to know she already had a job.

She then moved on to the next letter, which spiked more curiosity than the first. She had expected Dumbledore to reply to her acceptance, she had no clue what her former Transfiguration teacher could want with her.

_Dear Lily,_

_May I offer my congratulations to your N.E.W.T. scores? You certainly made me proud with your Transfiguration score, but we both knew you could do it. I would like to continue our lessons, a meeting after the one Saturday would be best to discuss this further. I'll be expecting you there._

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Lily smiled as she folded the last letter and placed it on top of Professor Dumbledore's. She had yet more news to put in her letter to James, so she grinned and continued to write.

* * *

At seven-thirty James knocked on the door to Lily and Charlotte's flat, after having a conversation with the elderly couple downstairs.

Charlotte answered the door, smiling at her cousin and hugged him, kissing his cheeks.

James grinned as she broke away. "What is it, dear cousin?"

"I'm so proud of you, Jamie! The _Elite_ _Auror training program_! I'm sure your parents are pleased."

James nodded. Yes, when he had written the news to his parents they had been very pleased. He had a new stack of galleons in his Gringotts account; he didn't think he'd ever seen his father prouder. He had hugged James, as well as Sirius, and had offered an award to rival James's to Sirius as well. Sirius had respectively declined and insisted being accepted was an award in its own.

"Yes, they are. Is Lily ready?" he asked peering around the corner, hoping to catch her down the hall.

Charlotte smiled. "Yes, she's just finishing up in her room, give her a few minutes. Care for a drink?"

James shook his head and walked into the sitting room and took a seat on the couch. Charlotte followed him in and studied him for a moment.

"So is Sirius happy?" she asked finally.

James looked at her with a lopsided grin. "Yes, he's thrilled he's been accepted…I wish he could have gotten into the Elite program, too."

She nodded her black head. "Yes, but when you think about it, Sirius doesn't have what you have yet. He hasn't really shown his maturity, at least, not in his marks. I'm sure they find him capable. They wouldn't have accepted him otherwise."

James nodded, his cousin's words were comforting.

"I'm sure he'll do well." James replied as Lily entered the room, looking as beautiful as ever.

Charlotte smiled once more and left Lily and James to themselves.

James stood up and hugged her in greeting.

"Ready?" he asked, smiling down at her.

Lily grinned. "Yes."

"Good, there's this great place I stumbled across the other day in Diagon Alley." James said, offering his arm.

After saying goodbye to the elderly couple in the bottom floor of the flat, James and Lily were off, walking down the street towards The Leaky Cauldron.

"So you know the Apples?" Lily asked as they walked down the street, hand in hand.

James raised an eyebrow. "Is that their name? Well I just had a little conversation with them downstairs before going up to see you. They absolutely adore you and Charlotte. Friendly people."

Lily nodded. "Yes, they keep trying to invite me over for dinner. I keep smelling boiling cabbage from the downstairs though, so I'm rather frightened to accept an invitation."

"Was that what smelled? I thought it was just old people." James commented as they reached The Leaky Cauldron.

Lily laughed as James ushered her in.

After taking several turns down roads Lily had never explored very closely, James stopped and held the door open for Lily. She managed to read the sign on her way in.

"_The Enchanted Boar_?" Lily asked with question before turning to James.

James smiled. "It's good, I promise."

Lily looked like she highly doubted this before the hostess addressed them.

"Good evening, please follow me."

James grinned and wrapped his arm around Lily as they followed the hostess to a empty table.

She gave them a booth and left them with menus and the promise of a waiter shortly.

"James, what is this place?" Lily asked as she looked around. The dining area looked like a taxidermist's dream. Stuffed animal heads lined the walls, and every once in a while, one would make an unexpected noise.

James chuckled. "Sirius and I went here the other night. It's a bit odd, but the food is great. I think it's a real adventure."

Lily smiled as she watched James's excitement. "Well, I suppose we'll have to try it then. I just won't look at the deceased victims while I eat."

"That's the spirit!" James commented with a laugh as the waiter arrived.

"What can I get you to drink?" he asked politely.

"I think a bottle of your finest champagne, as we are celebrating, after all. That okay with you, Lily?" James said.

"That sounds excellent." she said with a smile.

The waited nodded as he conjured the champagne glasses, a bottle of champagne, as well as some glasses of water.

"I'll be back in a few minutes for your order." he said, and with a pop he was gone.

"Well, James dearest, what do you recommend?" Lily asked as she searched the menu.

"The chicken is good…and the beef stew." James replied. "I think I'll try a nice steak. What are you thinking of?"

Lily closed the menu. "I could use a nice steak myself."

"With a twice baked potato?" James asked hopefully.

Lily nodded. "Yes, that sounds lovely."

As if hearing them decide on their dishes, the waiter popped back up, making Lily jump up slightly and causing James to chuckle.

"Two steaks and two side orders of the twice baked potato?" the waiter asked as a quill scrawled everything the ordered onto a piece of parchment, the quill had a mind of its own, it seemed.

"Yes, please." Lily confirmed, glancing at the quill with amazement.

"How would you like them cooked?"

"Medium-rare." she looked at James with question and he nodded. "Both done medium rare."

The waiter nodded. "And what kind of dressing?"

"Ranch." Lily said quickly.

"Bleu cheese for me, please." James said.

The waiter nodded robotically as the quill continued to write. "Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you." Lily said, as the waiter disappeared yet again.

Once the waiter had disappeared, Lily took a sip of her champagne.

"So, we are celebrating!" she stated, smiling happily at James, who grinned in response.

"Yes, you got your job, I got accepted into the Auror Academy…we need to celebrate!" James replied.

Lily nodded. "Not just the Auror Academy, James. The _Elite_ training program!"

James nodded and the smile on his face began to falter.

"Yeah."

Lily glanced at him for a moment. Their dinners magically appeared in front of them, but neither paid much attention to the hot food before them.

"What's wrong James? You are happy about the Elite program? Is it Sirius? He did get into the Academy, right?"

James sighed. "Yes, Sirius got into the Academy…but Lil, he got into the three year program…and I'm in the Elite program. It's just not fair! He's wanted this for so long, and I feel like…I don't know. That I don't deserve it. I'm worried it's just because my last name is Potter, I know it. If his wasn't Black…"

Lily cut James off, her eyes flashing with determination.

"James, stop it, right this second! You do deserve this. You were Head Boy, Captain of the Quidditch Team…that won the cup every year that you were Captain, I might add, and you did far better on your N.E.W.Ts than Sirius did! You and Sirius may have the same raw natural magical ability, but James, you've done things that show your leadership, responsibility, and independence! Sirius hasn't, don't get me wrong, I love Sirius, but he's just now growing up, the Academy was right about accepting him and all, but from what they've seen, he isn't ready for the responsibility of the Elite program. They know he's brilliant, James. They don't know if he's mature."

James listened to Lily's decided words, they did comfort him, yes, everyone else had been saying pretty much the same thing, but only Lily seemed to reassure him. It had something to do with her eyes, her beautiful, green, almond shaped eyes.

But there was something that was still worrying him.

"What…what about if it's just because I'm a Potter? What if that's the only reason?" he asked carefully.

Lily looked at James and smiled at him.

"James, I'm sure they've looked beyond that now. Your name might have been what interested them at first, but when they saw how extraordinary you were, they did what they thought was best." Lily's words were no longer fierce, but loving and comforting.

James seemed to think her words over for a minute, and he knew she was right. She was always right; this was Lily Evans he was dealing with.

He grinned his lopsided smile at her.

"I love you so much." he said as he picked up his fork and knife.

"Well I'm glad your feelings haven't changed." Lily teased. "And I love you too."

The two smiled, and both happily tucked in and began to eat, smiling at each other.

* * *

**A/N: Lily's engagement will be announced on her eighteenth birthday, which will be in early August. I'll put the exact date in the story soon. Please be patient with me, I may find writing a little hard for a while.**

**Give yourself a pat on the back if you read this chapter.**

**Now give yourself an extra pat if you are the following: Precious421, sharp-tongued, scooter5710, anonymously morgan, sosirius'sgurl3245, official cheeky devil, Amantes2, PhoenixNS, jillybean90, -Xanthia-, Forest Unicorn, dreamergirl86, Zippy-Wings, IAMSOAP, glowing-ice, The Lily Flowers, X.Little.Black.Cat.X., Kaean, and my first reviewer, chikichiki.**

**Take an extra two pats if you're hcgolfinfool, because you are just so awesome! Thanks for beta-ing.**


	7. The Training Begins

**A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm officially swamped with work, sports, and life in general. I'm so exhausted, and I'm just trying to get this posted before I go to school because I won't be home till very late and then I have to get started on my huge pile of homework that seems to exponentially grow every hour. Sigh. But I won't get into that. At least, not too much. So how about a little school related poll? If you could drop any class or subject…you didn't need it to graduate...which one would you get rid of? Personally, I'm thinking AP Bio or English. I love reading and writing, but geez. I have too much to do already. Anyways, I'll let you read. Please review. Sorry for the delay.**

**Chapter Seven: The Training Begins**

James woke up at five the morning of July twenty-ninth. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, due to nerves, and woke up in a cold sweat.

He looked around his room in a daze before pulling the covers off himself. He knew Sirius would have to get up early this morning too; he had to meet with someone from the regular Auror Academy at eight.

He knew it was early as he looked out the sky and saw the sun barely rising over the buildings of London. James decided what he needed was a good run. He hadn't had a real jog since Hogwarts, and it always helped him clear his head.

After suiting up, he left a note for Sirius to tell him where he was- although he seriously doubted that Sirius would be up before he returned.

Half an hour later, James returned, sweating, and feeling utterly refreshed. The exercise had eased some of his nerves, but the excitement of the anticipated meeting gave him a completely new set of butterflies.

When he returned, he heard Sirius groaning and swearing from his bedroom, James chuckled as Sirius stumbled out of his room, just wearing his boxer shorts and swinging his arms at an owl that was flying above his head.

Charlotte's owl.

"I'm not bloody Prongs!" Sirius shouted diving at the owl in an attempt to shoo it from his head.

James laughed again and Sirius looked up at him, almost glaring.

"Ruddy owl! James is there!" Sirius pointed at James before heading back to his room and slamming the door.

James laughed again to himself as Ralph flew over to him, looking pleased that no one was hitting him, and dropped the letter in James's hands.

_Dear James,_

_Sorry if this is too early, but I was excited for you and couldn't sleep and then I woke up early and I decided you were probably nervous too. You don't need to be, James. You'll do fine. They want you there; they know you can do it. I know you can do it. And I know you know you can do it, you arrogant toerag. I love you! You're brilliant. Everything will be fine. Come visit me after you're done for the day, I'll make you dinner._

_Pork chops?_

_I love you,_

_Your Shnuckums._

_P.S. Charlotte and I wish Sirius luck, too!_

James chuckled as he read the letter. Lily certainly did know him, she knew him enough to know how to comfort him, and he loved her. He knew everything would go all right today, and smiled.

With his newfound confidence, he began to get ready, he also made sure Sirius was up, and went down to a local Muggle café and got them some breakfast.

* * *

James entered the neat office of Alice Longbottom at exactly seven that morning. He had actually arrived at the Ministry at six thirty, but took the time to walk off some nerves and grab a cup of coffee.

Alice, a short, round-faced woman with shoulder-length blonde hair smiled up to him as he entered and stood up, her hand out stretched.

"Hello, James. Nice to see you again, I was Alice Stone back at Hogwarts. Do you remember me?" she asked in a kind tone.

James nodded. "Yes, ma'm, " he replied with a grin. "You dated Longbottom back then. I'm assuming you married?"

Alice beamed and held up her left hand. "Yes, one year! We married right after we completed Auror training, although it was frowned upon. Aurors aren't supposed to marry each other, after all."

She continued to smile and offered James a seat while reclaiming hers.

"The Elite program is something new, developed this year, due to the lack of Aurors." she started, immediately changing to a serious, business like tone. James smiled, she sort of reminded him of Lily.

"You have been selected due to your fantastic marks, N.E.W.T. scores, recommendations, and obvious natural talent. There are eleven others new to the program." she went on.

She stopped for a moment and studied James.

"You have stopped fooling around so much, haven't you? I know you and your little friends used to be such big pranksters."

James nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes ma'm. I was made Head Boy this year, and Lily straightened me out."

Alice smiled. "Lily? Lily Evans? Red hair? Brilliant at Charms?"

James grinned. "Yes, that's the one."

"I take it you stopped annoying her so much, then? I remember the rows you two used to have…she had quite a temper…when it came to you, at least. Pretty even tempered and kind hearted to everyone else."

James smiled again. "Yes, I managed to shape up and she managed to give me a chance."

Alice nodded. "I know this is slightly unprofessional, but let's just say we're catching up as friends for a few minutes. I'd like to get to know you if you're going to be working here and all." she smiled sneakily and continued. "So are you two dating?"

"Yes, actually---" James beamed and then stopped, he had almost said they were engaged, but remembering that this was an Auror office and that his father was in close proximity, closed his mouth. "Well, we've been dating for about seven months."

Alice smiled and nodded, not noticing anything peculiar about James.

"Alright then, friend-time over. Back to business." she grinned. "You will be able to complete your training in a year, you have double the time of training in a shorter period of time, however, and it will be vigorous. Can you devote six days a week for the next year to the program? You won't be training all day, but you will be expected to show up six out of seven days. You will get some vacation time, limited, however. Are you up to it?"

James nodded. "Yes."

"Alright then, it's time for you to meet your instructor." Alice announced, closing some folders that had been lying on her desk and standing up.

James stood up, but had a confused expression on his face.

"Aren't you going to be instructing me?" James asked hopefully.

He had been looking forward to having someone as agreeable and kind as Alice to train him; she could understand James needing time off for a wedding.

Alice almost laughed. "No, no, they wouldn't let me train the Elites yet. Not after being out of training for only a year myself. Frank and I are in charge of the regular Auror Academy."

James nodded, trying to hide the disappointment from his face.

Alice patted him on the back as she walked out of her office.

"Don't worry, James, you'll be fine. If you need anything, feel free to come to me and Frank, oh, and tell Lily to write me sometime, I'd really like to know how she's doing."

James nodded as they stopped outside a plain oak door, no doubt his trainer's office.

Alice knocked and waited for a gruff voice to reply. She turned to James and smiled, extending her hand again.

"It's been a pleasure meeting with you, James, I'll see you around." she smiled and as James shook her hand, she turned to leave, deserting James by the door of a very grumpy sounding person.

He sighed and then turned the doorknob to enter.

What he saw was a harsh looking man sitting behind his desk. He had wild hair, several scars on his face, and most peculiarly, an electric-blue eye that pivoted in all directions.

James's face tightened as both eyes focused on him.

"Name?" he said.

"Potter. James Potter, sir." James said in the most mature voice he could muster. He managed to take a glimpse at the name tagged on the desk.

Alastor Moody.

James recognized that name; he worked with James's father. James remembered his father talking of the man's brilliance, even if he was slightly paranoid. They called him "Mad-Eye" if James remembered correctly. He was an excellent Auror.

Mad-Eye Moody didn't seem to have a need to reply to James, as his electric blue eye looked James over.

He had the horrible feeling that it could see through him and gulped.

"Very well, then." Moody finally said. "Take a seat. My name is Alastor Moody. You're to call me Moody, if anything."

James nodded as he nervously took a seat.

Moody waved his arm and the oak door behind James slammed shut, leaving James inside the office with a man he wasn't sure was sane.

* * *

James trudged into his apartment at half past five, feeling completely and utterly exhausted.

Alastor Moody had made it completely clear that the Elite program wasn't going to be a bunch of laughs.

After having a strict interview with James, which he was sure lasted almost three hours in itself, Moody had decided that he needed to personally see where James's skill level was at.

Needless to say, he had spent the rest of the day, despite a fifteen minute lunch break and two five minute bathroom breaks, having spell upon spell being thrown at him. He was physically and mentally exhausted. He was almost angry that the Ministry had first introduced him to Alice. It was as if they were just taunting him, saying "Here's how nice we can be, too bad for you."

James sighed as he looked around his flat. He needed to see Lily. Before he could leave to apparate, he saw Sirius sprawled out on the floor in the living room.

"You alright?" James asked, peering over at Sirius.

Sirius nodded his head. "Yes, just got back from training an hour or so ago. Bloody ruthless that Longbottom is. Put him and his wife together and they're bloody…I don't know. They look so young and friendly but they're so skilled…and I'm just beat. We had so much training today…four hours at least."

James would have liked to retort something along the lines of "Only four hours? With sane people?" But he knew that the regular Auror Academy was no picnic, and it wasn't fair to pull Sirius's effort down just because he had more to endure.

Sirius looked up at him from where he was sprawled, almost motionless.

"I imagine you had a hell of a day, you look terrible. Are you going to Lily's like that?" Sirius said.

James groaned. He had planned on going to Lily's right then, but when he looked at himself, he realized he need to shower, get a change of clothes, and do the best he could to manage his hair.

"No, I'm going to get a quick shower. Do you want to come for dinner? I'm sure she'd love to see you." James offered.

Sirius nodded, jumping up from his previous comatose state and patted his stomach. "I could use some food, and I haven't seen those two in a while."

James grinned to himself as he headed to his room and bathroom. Sirius and Charlotte had something going on, if only he could get them to admit it.

* * *

James and Sirius, once in clean, Muggle clothes, ventured to Lily and Charlotte's flat and knocked on the door.

Lily greeted them, beaming and letting James pull his arms around to give her a long kiss.

Sirius just shook his head and walked towards the kitchen in hopes of finding Charlotte.

"So how was training?" Lily asked him.

James sighed but was able to manage a grin.

"It started out so nicely…I met with Alice Longbottom, and I thought maybe she'd be my trainer…she is so nice and friendly…you remember her from Hogwarts?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, but she was Alice Stone then, right? Oh my! She and Frank got married…how cute!" Lily exclaimed. "They were Head Boy and Head Girl their seventh year too!"

James smiled. "Yes, she'd like you to write her sometime, catch up..." James watched Lily as she nodded and then he continued. "And well, that was nice and everything…and then she drops me off at this other office, and tells me she and Frank are leading the regular Auror Academy…and that my trainer is inside the office."

Lily gasped before ushering James to the sitting room and motioning him to sit down beside her.

"Well, my trainer is this completely..._insane _old Auror, very respectable…my dad speaks most highly of him…but he's _mad_. His name is Alastor Moody, but he's got this eye…it's electric blue and swivels around and I think it can see through things. His nickname is 'Mad-Eye' but I don't think I'll ever be able to call him that…he was so brutal."

Lily smiled sympathetically and put her small hand through James's hair affectionately.

"But he's probably one of the best, I'm sure it'll be alright. And if your dad respects him, he must be absolutely brilliant."

James nodded before laying back on the couch. "Yes, I suppose you're right…but he's going to kill me if we keep going on like this."

James then grinned at her. "Tomorrow we go over charms. Maybe it won't be so bad."

Lily smiled back at him. "It'll get better. Training is going to take some getting used to, that's all. Think of it as conditioning for Quidditch."

The smile on James's face widened. This was why he loved Lily Evans.

James leaned in and kissed her, letting his hand touch her face softly. Lily responded and let her hand pull on his arm, urging him closer. James moved towards her and began to kiss her more feverishly and allowed his hands to caress her sides.

Sirius and Charlotte then appeared in the sitting room, grinning at each other.

They watched them for a second, preparing to make the most out of an embarrassing situation.

Sirius turned to Charlotte. "So, Charlotte, I'd say it's a little _hot_ in here." he said in a loud, obnoxious voice.

Charlotte giggled as they watched James scramble off top of Lily and Lily sat back on the sofa, her face turning a bright red.

James cleared his throat. "So, is dinner ready?"

Lily stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Yes, it is…we better eat before it gets too cold." Lily smiled at James. "Pork chops."

James jumped up happily and followed her into the kitchen.

"Well, if it is cold, we know just the two people that could _warm it up_!" Sirius exclaimed behind them, smirking as the back of James's neck turned red as pulled Lily's hand into his, pretending not to hear his best friend.

"Those two are _so_ cute!" Charlotte exclaimed, smiling.

Sirius nodded. "Yes, well they should be…it took forever to get those two together…"

Charlotte grinned at him, showing her perfect white teeth. Sirius smiled back at her and put his arm around her waist.

"The food is calling." He stated, grinning.

Charlotte nodded as they walked into the kitchen together.

* * *

**Special thanks to:**

**anonymously morgan, scooter5710, -xanthia-, sharp-tongued, glowing-ice, IAMSOAP, X.Little.Black.Cat.X, dreamergirl86, Jude Harrison, Precious421, Kaean, hoolihoopgrl131, Zippy-Wings, chikichiki, and Forest Unicorn. **

**official cheeky devil: Yes, I do like your new name, lol. Bo was a friend and teammate of mine that I ran with for a couple of years. He died in a horrible car accident, and he is greatly missed. He was one of the best people I've ever met. Thanks for the review, keep reading.**

**Thanks to my beta, of course.**

**REVIEW!**


	8. The First Meeting

**A/N: The next chapter! Yay. Well it seems as if the subject most hated is between math and history. And a Chemistry. Personally, I hated Chemistry. But I love history, especially AP US. But I had a good teacher. I had several questions about Mad-Eye's appearance. Yes, he is supposed to be younger, I tried to make him appear younger, but I do think I made the mistake of him having the mad-eye. My apologies, but I think it really adds to his character, and I wanted to use it. Anyways, I have another poll, which my beta suggested. What kind of Harry Potter fanfics (or any fanfic) do you hate to read? So if you'd like to read and review and leave your answer in the review…that would be delightful. Well, enjoy!**

**Chapter Eight: The First Meeting**

Lily entered her flat on the last day of July with the usual dizzying feeling she got after spending an evening with James. It was the day before she would begin her job, and she had been a complete nervous wreck. James, being the caring, loving fiancé he was, had invited her out for dinner when he had come home from his third day of training. He had been completely exhausted, but he had found the energy to be there for Lily when she needed him, and Lily was still smiling from the butterflies in her stomach the night had produced.

She let a yawn escape her mouth as she looked around her flat. Charlotte was away at a convention in Germany, something about getting the German wizards to cooperate with the French ones, and so far, it wasn't faring well. Lily almost felt relieved that she had chosen law over diplomatic work. The stories Charlotte came home with were enough to make Lily glad she only spoke one language fluently. Yes, magical law was sure to be an exciting and promising experience, and with these hopeful thoughts in her head, Lily was able to get to sleep quite easily.

The next morning Lily awoke to her alarm clock, and she scrambled out of bed to find her shower, her nerves for the morning had returned, and she was delighted to find an owl from James by the time she had made herself a bowl of porridge. She was having trouble getting the lumpy hot cereal down as it was.

_My Lily,_

_Good morning, sunshine! I know you are already up…you probably got up an hour in advance just to make sure you wouldn't oversleep. Don't worry, Lily, you'll be great, because you are the most talented witch that the Ministry has ever laid eyes on. And you're beautiful too, so if the whole brilliant thing doesn't work out, just give them a wink. Kidding, love. They'll love you because you're one of the best people out there, I've never met anyone so loving and capable. So relax, you'll do fine. _

_I love you._

_Your James_

_P.S. I want to see you tonight, so write me when you get off._

Lily smiled as she read the letter and then placed it on the counter. She took a deep breath and relaxed. James was absolutely wonderful. Nerves subsided; Lily ate and finished preparing for her first day as an intern.

* * *

Lily walked the halls of the Ministry of Magic was pure fascination. She had never been in the place with the Wizarding World's government took place, and it utterly excited her. It was a few minutes before eight, the time she was to meet with her mentor. She found the office her letter had guided her to and held her breath, watching the clock with anticipation as it ticked closer to eight. Her clock-watching was cut short by a small tap on her shoulder. Lily jumped in surprise and turned to see a young man facing her, smiling nervously.

He smiled at Lily's awkwardness and then he extended his hand.

"Hello, my name is Owen Scruggs. Are you a new intern?" he asked.

Lily nodded. Was this her mentor? He certainly didn't look old enough. He couldn't have been but a few years older than herself, he was tall, had neat, short dark brown hair, a thin, somewhat handsome face with piercing blue eyes.

He smiled kindly. "I thought so, you certainly look new…are you just out of school?"

Lily nodded shyly. "Yes, I just graduated from Hogwarts in June."

"You must be brilliant then, if Bones wanted you." he replied.

Lily raised her eyebrow and then looked down at her watch. It was a minute past eight. Lily inwardly cursed this man who had faltered her punctuality. She turned from him and knocked on the door.

She heard a woman's voice allow her to enter and Lily walked in.

A woman who couldn't have been over thirty-five smiled politely at her. She had short dark hair and thick eyebrows. She appeared to be a kind woman, and the peculiar monocle she had placed over her right eye gave her a wise expression.

"Please, take a seat, Miss Evans." she addressed Lily.

Lily smiled and then sat down in a chair in front of the woman's desk, the woman took the seat behind the desk and was about to say something when a knock came to the door.

"Come in." she said in a even, yet polite tone.

The young man Lily had met in the corridor entered, grinning shyly.

"Madam Bones, I have the papers you wanted on the Carrows." he said, focusing on Madam Bones and handing her a file of papers.

He backed out of the office in a quick manner and Madam Bones turned back to Lily.

"Owen Scruggs. He's a senior intern for me. He's rather brilliant, I prefer him than any other to do my paperwork, he's always very careful."

Lily nodded, and was keenly aware that she hadn't actually said a word yet to Madam Bones and wondering when the appropriate time would be to get a word in.

"So you're Miss Evans. Albus speaks most highly of you. I am expecting great things." Amelia started while going through a file on her desk.

Lily tried to peer over to get a look, but it was snapped shut almost immediately as Madam Bones began to talk.

"According to your references you should be absolutely brilliant. You will be expected to do background research for trials, you will be expected to attend trials, and you are to help me with any interview or other task I may need assistance with. The main object of your training as a junior intern will be to learn how the system works, what to do in certain situations, and how to prosecute and defend." She looked Lily over for a second and Lily impulsively smiled. "When I see that you are ready, you will be promoted to a senior intern. They do more work on their own and get more involved with the more dangerous cases. Then, you will take the steps to become a full time criminal lawyer. Once there, your opportunities are endless."

Lily nodded. "That all sounds very well, Madam Bones." she finally said, glad she had thought of at least one thing to say.

Madam Bones nodded. "I'll expect you to work Monday through Friday, nine to five, unless I need you to come in earlier, stay later, or I may need to call you in for an important task on a weekend. Do you agree to these terms?"

Lily nodded again. "Yes, I do."

"Alright then, I'll give you a tour of the office and the lobby, and then I'll show you your desk. Right now I'd just like you to go over the files of cases I'm working on at the moment so you know what we're working with. Then, I'll get you to organize some data for me." she continued with a sharp tone, but some how Lily didn't find her as threatening as some of her previous professors.

Madam Bones seemed likable, and Lily thought she could work with that.

* * *

"Lily, love! Glad you could make it!" Sirius exclaimed later that evening when Lily arrived at their flat. He opened his arms to her. "You deserve a hug, you intern, you!"

Lily laughed and then let Sirius give her a gigantic bear hug.

"Where's James?" Lily asked.

Sirius chuckled. "You both have such a one-tracked mind…'Is Lily here yet, Padfoot?'…'Where's James…' " After receiving a death glare from Lily, Sirius just smiled. "He's trying not to burn down the kitchen."

Lily nodded with a grin. "I better go and help him."

"Yeah, if we still want our flat that is. Personally, I've grown quite attached." Sirius replied sarcastically before checking his watch. "Well I better be off, see you two later!"

Before Lily could ask Sirius where he was going, James appeared from the kitchen, and to Lily's amusement, wearing an apron.

Lily began to laugh and James looked confused before looking down. Realizing what Lily was laughing at, his cheeks flushed slightly and he put his hands on his hips.

"I didn't want to get my clothes dirty!" he exclaimed, but his voice gave way to laughter and only joined Lily's.

Lily, as soon as she could keep a straight face, walked up to James and kissed his lips lightly.

"You look handsome, Precious." she said, grinning.

James smiled and then pulled her into a deeper kiss.

"You look beautiful too." He motioned towards the kitchen. "Now please, may I ask you to dine with me? And you can tell me all about your first day as an intern."

Lily grinned and nodded. "Yes, but please take off that apron first."

James pouted. "But I thought the pink brought out the color of my eyes…"

"Your eyes are hazel, James." Lily commented before laughing as James followed her into the dining room.

"That's beside the point." James stated, throwing the apron on the kitchen counter before pulling out a seat for Lily and then taking one for himself.

Lily looked at the table. It was covered with dishes of pot roast, ham, mashed potatoes, steak and kidney pie, green beans, and broccoli heads with a dish of mustard on the side.

"James did you make all this?" Lily asked in amazement.

James grinned. "I helped the house elves at my mother's when I got home from training. I just wanted to make sure the food was edible."

Lily laughed. "Then why were you wearing the apron?"

James pouted again. "I didn't want to risk getting my clothes dirty while setting up." Then, looking to distract Lily from the fact that he was wearing a pink apron he had borrowed from his mother's and forgotten to take off, pointed to the broccoli. "Look, I remembered you only ate broccoli heads and you dipped them in mustard."

Lily turned her attention to the broccoli and then smiled.

"I love you, James."

James grinned. "Well, I love you too."

The two smiled and then shared the details of their days, James listening first to Lily's first day as a junior intern, and then filling Lily in with the latest in his Elite Auror training. The topic of conversation had then moved over to the Order of the Phoenix meeting which was to take place the next night.

"Will you be off training by then?" Lily asked, remembering that James had to train on Saturdays as part of the Elite program.

James nodded. "Yes, I'll be done by six. Want to get a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks before we go to the Hog's Head? That place can be quite…grungy."

Lily smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but how do you know what the Hog's Head looks like?"

James shrugged. "Sirius and I have been in there a few times…Peter and Remus too. It'll be the perfect place for a meeting…it's loud and there's a back room."

Lily nodded as butterflies entered her stomach, and she knew James was just as excited. Working for the Order to fight against Voldemort was something they had longed to do all summer, and now they'd finally have the chance.

The two finished eating; then ate cherry pie for dessert, and then James kissed Lily goodnight before she apparated back to her flat. James still had to be up early in the morning for training, after all, and Lily didn't want to keep him up too late.

* * *

James waited outside of The Three Broomsticks for Lily. It had been an exhausting day of training, Moody had seen to that, and he was dying to see Lily and to get a nice drink. He had owled Lily to tell her to meet him there at seven, and as he checked his watch, he realized that he had managed to be early.

Five minutes later, Lily appeared, beaming and looking as pretty as ever. Her hair was up in a loose bun with strands dangling by her face. James loved it when she wore he hair like that; it brought more attention to her beautiful eyes.

"Hello!" she said, smiling and giving James a kiss.

James smiled back at her. "Hi. You look stunning, could I buy you a drink?"

Lily raised her eyebrow playfully. "I don't know, I usually don't drink with strangers…"

"Not even real handsome ones?" James replied in the same relaxed manner.

"Well, there's always the exceptions." Lily stated putting her hand on her chin as she pretended to think hard, as if straining for a memory. "Like that bloke with the black mustache. He was absolutely _captivating_."

James pouted. "I'll just have to sit here and grow a mustache then."

Lily checked her watch. "Well we don't have time for that…I guess you can be an exception." she grinned and kissed James again and grabbed on to his hand, leading him to the pub.

Forty-five minutes later, James and Lily had two butterbeers each and Madam Rosmerta had insisted on them taking a pile of ham sandwiches, complete with a side of chips.

"Madam Rosmerta sure does like you." Lily commented as she patted her stomach lightly as she and James made their way down the street, walking towards the Hog's Head.

James held on to her hand and grinned. "No, she likes you. She never gave me such treatment until I started dating you. A free butterbeer now and then, but never ham sandwiches."

"So that's why you've dated me for so long…free ham sandwiches." Lily teased.

"Well, it's an added bonus." James replied, smiling all the same.

They followed the streets and James guided them to the Hog's Head, a place Lily could safely say she had never ventured to her entire Hogwarts career, if only because she had not the desire.

When they first walked into the stranger, less popular pub of Hogsmeade, Lily's immediate reaction was to grasp on to James for some sort of protection. That and to hold her nose. It had a dirty, old mildew smell about the place, and the customers of the Hog's Head were far grungier from anything generally allowed within the proximity of The Three Broomsticks.

James seemed to read Lily's mind. What was Dumbledore thinking, having them meet in this place, where all sorts of low-lives could hear supposed vital, confidential information.

"It's easy to blend in, to hide and carry on with secret information in here. It's so loud, and no one really pays any attention to you." James commented as they walked through the bar room, trying to find where they were supposed to meet.

Lily wasn't exactly sure what James meant about blending in, she knew she and James stuck out, looking young and wearing relatively clean clothes. And people _were_ noticing them, she had seen creatures she had only read about in books staring at her in James, and it was making her uneasy.

The bartender seemed to know them, James at least as he beckoned them over to the bar.

James, not letting go of Lily, walked swiftly to the bar. The old man didn't say a word, but looked both of them over before motioning towards a door in the back. James nodded and followed to where the man had laid his eyes.

James gave a quick smile to Lily before turning an old knob that belonged to an even older looking door, which Lily noticed, you could barely see when in the bar.

They entered a room full of vacant chairs and tables, towards the back of the room was a statue of a witch with one eye.

James thought the witch looked awfully familiar and walked towards it, Lily trailing behind him, her mind racked with questions, while James's was filled with curiosity.

They reached the statue and a James smiled.

"Dumbledore is a clever man." he stated. Lily looked at the statue.

"There's one like that in Hogwarts!" She exclaimed as she recognized it. "But what is it doing here?"

James pulled out his wand and Lily watched him.

"Wha—" Lily began to ask, but James silenced her.

"Hold on to the statue." he said, smiling at Dumbledore's ingenious.

Lily looked at him with eyebrows raised but did as he said.

"_Dissendium_." James said with his voice only slightly above a whisper, one hand holding on to his wand with the other holding on to Lily.

A jerk was felt in James's and Lily's stomachs as their world went black.

Lily, who had never used a portkey was not used to the tugging sensation at her belly button, but was clever enough to guess what it was and where it was taking her.

She and James appeared at a classroom door. It was one on the third floor that was usually unused.

Lily smiled at James. "You're explaining this to me as soon as this is over."

James nodded and then opened the door for her before quickly following behind her.

The room was full of wizards and witches sitting in chairs, standing by the walls with heads together, talking. Most heads managed to turn to the door as Lily and James walked in however, and Lily found her cheeks tinged with pink due to the attention brought to herself and James yet another time that evening. The chatter almost immediately resumed once James waved and the people staring found it necessary to turn back to their conversations, it was rude to stare, after all.

Lily saw Emmeline Vance, Grace, and Remus standing in the corner, looking slightly out of place and unsure of what to do. She pulled James over to the obviously new members.

"Hey!" Lily greeted, smiling and then looking back at the crowd of people before turning back to the three people standing in front of her and the one standing beside her.

"Hi." Remus smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while, Lily, and James, I'm glad you remembered the password. Grace and I happened to run in to Emmeline here, so we were able to get in. I hope Peter remembers…"

James chuckled. "I knew the days of us sneaking around this castle would pay off."

Lily sighed. "So is this the first meeting you all have been to?"

Emmeline spoke up.

"Yes, I just replied to the invitation after getting my results."

Her tone was even, but she spoke rather quickly, as if she was anxious.

Grace then nodded as she joined the conversation. Lily found that she didn't speak much, and she wondered how the relationship between her and Remus faired. Hopefully better than his and Ellie's had.

"It's ours too. I'm so nervous. We're basically signing up for the war effort, we're putting our lives at stake for the better of something. It's nerve racking!"

"Yet thrilling all the same." James commented as he put an arm around Lily's waist and smiled.

Their attention was soon turned to the door, as Sirius and Peter came bounding in.

"Bloody idiot! How bloody thick are you? We've used that password for years!" Sirius exclaimed as they walked through to Peter, who appeared to have forgotten the password to the statue. The two also seemed to not realize that all eyes were on themselves.

Sirius straightened up once he noticed the attention they were receiving and tapped Peter, who was mumbling his useless excuses. Sirius just gave a charming smile and waved, whereas Peter gulped and shifted nervously.

"Good evening, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew." Professor Dumbledore stated in his usual calm and steady tone that could call attention to crowds with a simple word. His eyes were twinkling characteristically through his half-moon spectacles, he smiled at the crowd. "Now that everyone's here, we may begin."

Lily's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at James, who looked around the room, making sure he hadn't missed anyone, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was.

Where were Jacob and Allison?

* * *

**Thanks to: Sappy1990, dreamergirl86, glowing-ice, scooter5910, myzteek, KTSweep08, anonymously morgan, chikichiki, Forest Unicorn, Kaean, Jude Harrison, maraudergirl87, zippy-wings, and Sharp Tongued!**

**And of course, my wonderful beta, hcgolfinfool. By the way, I thought about what you said about changing it from Madam Rosmerta to someone else, as you think she's too young. Well, I've always thought that too, but in book 3 she talks about how she used to always see Sirius and James..."The number of times I had them in here...".. .she just makes it sound like she was older than they were. Although she couldn't have been that much older, I mean, Ron fancied her. I've never really understood her age, but I used her in The Tragic Flaw, so I kept her. Thanks for your input though. **


	9. A Bone to Pick

**A/N: Alright, once again, sorry for the wait…but you all already know that I'm busy, lol. For the last poll (What fanfics do you hate reading) A few reviewers said they didn't like reading fanfics where Lily was originally dating Remus. I don't care for those much either, but I really don't like the ones where she dates Sirius, I don't know…I just think James has been in love with her for a long time and that his friends wouldn't do that to him, and plus, I don't really think Lily would ever have dated Sirius, he's more of a brother. Anyways…the next poll question…Which Muppet or Loony Tunes character do you like most, and why? I love the Muppets and Loony Tunes, and my beta does too. Ok. So read and REVIEW!...**

**Chapter Nine: A Bone to Pick**

The meeting lasted an hour. After Professor Dumbledore had taken roll of who was present, he introduced the newest members of the Order to older ones. He explained The Order of the Phoenix had been functioning for six months, as Voldemort's power and support had begun to increase at a rapid rate and it became clearer that the Ministry of Magic wasn't handling the situation with the most responsibility. Professor Dumbledore then went over how secretive the Order was before explaining that there were smaller groups with in the Order with different tasks based on their standing in the magical world and what they could do for the war effort. They all contributed; they all had one common goal- to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters. One of the older members, a man by the name of Fenwick, was called to the front of the classroom and Professor Dumbledore took a seat next to Professor McGonagall.

Benjy Fenwick smiled nervously around at the people in the room and then turned to the paper in his hands. He was a middle-aged man of small stature; he wore old, eccentric robes and a bright purple pointed hat. Lily thought he looked quite silly, but all the more agreeable. His voice was quite deep from what she was expecting, however, as he began to talk loudly.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has struck again this week. We believe John Riggs from the Unspeakable department was put under the Imperious Curse. Two Muggles have been brutally killed within London, apparently by the slow, painful death of the Cruciatius Curse…"

Lily squeezed James's hand as he continued to read out what appeared to be news. James looked down at Lily and smiled weakly.

At first, James had felt sorry and perturbed as Voldemort's latest evil doings were read aloud. Those poor people, they didn't deserve what was given to them. James's sorrow soon bubbled over to anger, however. How was it that a man could be so evil and get away with everything? How was it that the Ministry could be so ignorant of what was going on, how could they be so careless? Blood rushed to his cheeks as he concentrated harder on Fenwick's words, and soon, his anger subsided slightly and he was left with determination. He bit his tongue to keep from making an outburst; he knew he would have to control himself; this was his first meeting, after all.

Fenwick smiled once more after finishing the headlines and hurried back over to his seat. Professor Dumbledore then got up to again and asked certain people to stay behind and others to please turn in various reports they had been working on. He then adjourned the meeting and everyone stood up, either heading for Dumbledore or heading for the door. James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Grace, Emmeline, and Peter, being new, didn't know quite what to do or what to make of the situation before them. James suddenly burst into an energetic rant, soon accompanied by Sirius. Lily listened to James's angry words, touched his shoulder softly then added to what he was saying. Grace, Sirius, Emmeline and Peter soon felt inclined to add to the heated conversation.

"When I get my hands on one of those Death Eaters…" Sirius started before making a violent hand motion.

"I can't wait to be given an assignment!" James added vengefully. "To get out there and show Voldemort there are people who will stick up to him!"

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "It will probably be a while before we get put out on difficult tasks, I mean; we just graduated and are new members."

"You think so?" Peter asked desperately. To Sirius he almost sounded hopeful, he then shot him a quick glare and continued describing the one hundred ways he'd like to torture and kill a Death Eater, particularly anyone that was related to him, much to the disgust of his group of friends.

Lily was about to say something when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Professor McGonagall standing behind her chair, smiling slightly but with her usual severe manner.

"I believe we have something to discuss, Lily." she stated.

Lily thought for a moment and then nodded with a friendly smile. "Yes, we do." She then followed McGonagall to a deserted corner of the classroom.

She smiled nervously, this was the first conversation she had with one of her professors after leaving school, and she wasn't quite sure how to act.

"How has your summer been, Lily?" McGonagall asked.

Lily smiled. "Great. I've gotten my own flat and am working for the ministry."

Professor McGonagall nodded with a slight smile. "And you've got a birthday coming up, if I remember correctly?"

Lily nodded, almost astonished that the Transfiguration teacher knew. She was used to Professor Dumbledore and his mysterious ways, but she certainly had never paid attention to the curious side of Professor McGonagall. "Yes, the eleventh."

"Right." McGonagall nodded, Lily smiled and wringed her hands behind her back as she waited for the professor to say anything.

"Now that you're working for the Ministry and the Order, I was hoping you'd be interested in continuing your lessons. I believe you have great potential."

Lily bobbed her head excitedly. "Yes, Professor, I'd be delighted. That is, if you don't mind working with me, surely you have better things to do?"

Professor McGonagall smiled. "No, Lily, I believe that training you will be a great use of my time. Great things are expected of you after all. You and James both."

Lily smiled sheepishly. "Well when would you like to meet?"

"Thursday night at eight, my classroom. I take it you know how to get there from the outside by now?" she said.

Lily smiled and nodded. "Yes, but I wouldn't have if James hadn't been with me."

Professor McGonagall smiled again. "I would have been severely disappointed if James hadn't figured it out. The number of times I caught him and Sirius there your second year…" Her voice was lost in reminiscence and she smiled before excusing herself.

Lily walked back over to where James stood, in a slight daze over a side of McGonagall she had never seen before. James was talking to a man Lily thought she may have seen before, he was middle-aged and was holding out his wallet with many pictures, pointing out chubby smiling faces to James.

"This is Clara, she's a year and a half now." he said excitedly as Lily approached.

James smiled and looked at the baby girl, giggling in the picture and bobbing her head full of curls in delight.

"She's adorable." James stated, feeling Lily at his side, he introduced her.

"Edgar, this is Lily Evans, my girlfriend. Lily, this is Edgar Bones. He works in the Auror department." James introduced.

Lily's eyes brightened as she took his extended hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Edgar smiled kindly at her and nodded with enthusiasm. "I believe I've heard your name before, Lily. Perhaps you work in the Ministry?"

Lily nodded. "Yes sir, I'm interning in the International Magical Office of Law."

Edgar Bones seemed impressed.

"Really? Do you know my sister, Amelia Bones, then?"

Realization passed over Lily. Maybe this was why he looked so familiar.

"Yes, actually." She replied with excitement. "Forgive me for not realizing the relation. I'm her intern."

James grinned at Lily and Edgar as they talked.

"Ah. You're going to learn plenty, then. And don't worry, Amelia may seem stern, but she's a real sweetheart."

Lily smiled. "She does seem to be a nice lady."

Before Edgar could reply, his watch went off. He checked it frantically.

"Oh, I better be off. It's quarter to ten and the family needs me." He gave one more smile, shook both their hands, and was off.

"Are you ready to go?" James asked Lily as he studied her. She looked tired and worried, with small bags appearing under her eyes and a smile he could tell was only half hearted.

She nodded and James smiled. "Alright then. Let's just say goodbye to everyone and we'll be off."

* * *

"Are you feeling alright?" James asked Lily as they walked into her flat.

Lily let out a sigh as she slipped off her shoes and turned to James. "Yeah, I'm okay."

James frowned. "You know I don't believe that. I'm going to go start some tea and you're going to tell me what's on your mind."

Lily gave him a small grin and kissed his cheek before heading to the sitting room. Charlotte had a hamper of dirty clothes waiting to be sent to the wash and Lily knew she must already be in bed.

James appeared a few minutes later with two mugs of steaming tea and a plate of biscuits. He placed them on the coffee table and sat down beside her.

Lily took one of the mugs and sipped.

"Does it taste alright?" James asked calmly.

Lily grinned up at him. His eyes were full of care, concern, and love.

"Yes, if you had messed up tea I really might have to be worried." she teased.

"I would be worried too." James grinned. "So is this about Allison and Jacob?" he started.

Lily's eyes opened a little wider and she nodded.

"I just don't know why they wouldn't be there." Lily said as she looked down into her tea. "Do they not care?"

She felt James's hand caress her arm. "Lily, sometimes people are scared. I'm sure Allison and Jacob have their reasons."

Lily looked up at him, her green eyes staring into his hazel ones. "I just thought I knew her well enough. I thought she was the kind of person to stand up to Voldemort. And wouldn't she tell me if she wasn't going to accept? Honestly, she's one of my oldest and dearest friends. Don't I deserve an explanation?"

James leaned and hugged Lily as her cheeks began to flush with anger and tears began trickling down her cheeks.

"She probably didn't know what to say, Lily. I mean, she sees you doing such big and great things, she may feel a little, I don't know, like she doesn't deserve to be in the Order. Or maybe she's still making up her mind. It takes some people longer than other to make decisions."

"But even Peter has decided to join!" Lily exclaimed with exasperation as she pulled away from James. "I don't mean to offend you or any of your friends, James. But honestly, he had to scrape by! Surely if she knew Peter joined she could realize she could too!"

James shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Lily. You're just going to have to ask her yourself."

Lily nodded as she put her tea on the table in front of them. "I suppose you're right." she smiled weakly at James. "I'm sorry for being like this." She then scooted closer to James and put her arms around him, laying her head on his chest.

James put comforting arms around her and just stroked her deep red hair.

"It's alright, Lily. It's okay to be upset." James said in a soothing tone. He kissed the top of her head and Lily took in the scent of him and the warmth of being so close.

* * *

Lily awoke the next morning in James's arms. She was lying completely on top of him and she smiled slightly as she lifted her head and looked down at him sleeping, there was a slight smile on his face, and his glasses were tilted to the side.

Her movement startled James into consciousness, and he smiled at Lily looking at him.

"Good morning, Lily." He said quietly.

Lily grinned and kissed the top of his head. "Morning."

James's turned his head and looked out the window. The sun was just coming up and an orange glow melted through the white curtains.

"Lily?" James said finally.

"Yes?"

"Could you move your legs slightly? They're sort of in a very sensitive spot." James said, Lily blushed as she noticed the painful expression he was trying to hide under a smile.

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed as she jumped up. "Sorry." Lily apologized, turning a deep scarlet shade.

James laughed as he sat up. She was so cute when she was embarrassed. "It's alright." he said as he pulled her into an embrace.

He leant in to kiss her but Lily darted away. "Morning breath!" she exclaimed.

James pouted. "I can't help it if my breath stinks."

Lily laughed. "It's not you, it's me."

"That's the excuse they always give." James smiled at Lily's words.

Lily laughed again as she headed towards the kitchen, ready to make breakfast for herself and James.

"What would you like to eat?" Lily asked.

"French toast!" James exclaimed immediately before making his way to the bathroom.

Lily fumbled through the kitchen and searched for a recipe book for French toast, finally founding a Muggle recipe; she set out the ingredients and began to cook. James returned, started some tea and continually asked Lily if she wanted any help. Unable to insist that she had everything under control after the fourth time, Lily set him to frying bacon.

It was only when Charlotte, clad in her white nightdress and looking completely worn out that it dawned on both Lily and James what it probably looked like, cooking breakfast together lovingly early in the morning.

"Good morning." Charlotte greeted with a slight smile as she glanced at the pair, James was trying to look as innocent as possible and Lily was blushing furiously.

"Morning, cousin." James replied with ease and a wide grin. "Care for some French toast?"

Charlotte nodded and tension subsided. James was able to bring ease to Lily like no other person, and she smiled as she sliced more pieces of French bread to put on the pan. Charlotte grinned at them both, shook her head, and grabbed the Dailey Prophet before taking a seat at the bar and beginning to read.

After a few moments she looked up.

"Hey, isn't Allison Prewett a friend of yours?" she asked lightly.

Lily's face immediately tensed. "Yes? Why? Has there been an attack?"

Charlotte shook her head and smiled. "Oh no, no. She has an article in the paper. I forgot she wrote for the Prophet…"

"She's got an article? On the front page?" Lily asked intently.

Charlotte shook her head so that her sleek black hair fell loosely from her ponytail. "No, fourth. But...it's sort of interesting…"

Lily reached for the paper. "May I see?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, but only because you're fixing my breakfast."

Lily slapped her forehead. "I forgot to flip the toast!" She ran to the frying pan frantically only to see the golden side of the toast facing her and the sound of sizzling batter cooking in the pan. James grinned at her.

"Well, someone has to take charge when you get distracted, honestly." James grinned foolishly and Lily punched him lightly before he reached for her and planted his lips on top of hers. Lily opened her mouth to receive him and couldn't help grinning into him.

"See, my morning breath isn't that bad." James said when they broke apart. Lily just laughed as she scanned the paper for Allison's article.

_**Death Eaters: Just How Many Are There?**_

_by Allison Prewett_

_In the light of what is happening, many questions are popping into the heads of witches and wizards globally. Just how many Death Eaters are there? How much support does He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named have? Is it exaggerated? Many Magical Law Enforcers are finding many The-Squib-Who-Cried-Werewolf scenarios. The same people keep calling in with Death Eater attacks. This has led many to believe that there is a significant less amount of Death Eaters circulating. Barty Crouch, a top Ministry official, is quoted in saying "There can't possibly be that much support. We would know about it. The constant frantic owls from ditzy witches and wizards whenever a cat jumps into their trash bins have simply over-exaggerated the situation. So people, please. Use your sense." The Ministry would like everyone to know that they know approximately how many Death Eaters are out there, and to not fret._

James watched Lily as she read the article. Her facial expression went from one of excitement, to one of curiosity, to one of puzzlement, and then finally, her eyebrows were furrowed and her cheeks were tinged with red. James knew that face. She was angry.

"What's the matter?" He asked calmly as he put the now done toast on a plate.

"Allison's article is completely nutters!" Lily exclaimed in anguish as she looked up at James. Did she even know her friend anymore? That didn't sound like the Allison Prewett she knew at all. "I've got to see Allison. I'll owl her right now."

She started to make her way to her room when James stopped her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Lily, wait. Let's eat. You can calm down, and then you can write. You may say something you'll regret. Just wait a few minutes."

Lily looked up at James to see his dazzling hazel eyes full of concern and she smiled slightly.

"All right. I'll eat."

James smiled gratefully as he and Lily walked back to the kitchen to see Charlotte already eating.

Lily then ate as quickly as possible while still being polite. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and then hurried to her room to write Allison a note. She was going to get some sense into Allison if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

**Much thanks to reviewers: Forest Unicorn, mooneylover, anonymously morgan, heather gernenz, I AM SOAP, hoolihoopgrl131, Lady in Red, official cheeky devil, sharp-tongued, Kaean, glowing-ice, and Jude Harrison. **

**And I'm thinking the engagement will come in about three more chapters. Be patient…there's a lot to set up before it is announced and everything…**

**Special thanks (of course) goes out to my beta!**

**Now REVIEW!**


	10. A Disagreement Among Friends

**A/N: Here you guys go! So it looks like the favorite Loony Toon/Muppet characters are Bugs Bunny and Miss Piggy. My favorite from the Muppets was always Kermit. And I liked Elmer Fudd. Next Poll: What's your favorite name JKR has used? So read and review, and have a good weekend, everyone!**

**Chapter Ten: A Disagreement Among Friends**

Monday morning, Lily found herself in her new office, or rather, a tiny cubicle on the outskirts of Amelia Bones' office. On her desk, a number of stuffed gigantic folders were waiting for her. Lily sighed and put her bag down before pulling off her cloak.

She hadn't been seated five minutes when a knock came to her cubicle wall. She turned from the notes she was making on the Carrow case to see Owen Scruggs smiling down at her.

"So you're the junior intern." he stated politely.

Lily gave him a small smile. "Yes."

Owen nodded and looked at the stack of papers on Lily's desk.

"I remember those days. Seems like only yesterday…" He smiled again. "I'm the senior intern for Bones now."

Lily nodded. "She told me."

If Owen was disappointed by not being able to boast on his own success he didn't show it. "I imagine she would."

A few silent moments passed and Lily looked back down at her work, willing him to leave.

Owen let out a sigh and rapped on the cubicle wall with his knuckles. "I guess I'll be off. I was just checking up on you. If you need anything, I'm just a few cubicles away."

Lily nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He grinned at her once more before leaving. Lily sighed and got back to work. She was feeling more irritable then she usually would on a Monday morning. Allison hadn't yet replied to her letter.

She hadn't said anything more than an invitation. An invitation for Allison and herself to have dinner together or something, just to visit, or to see Ellie before she left for Hogwarts.

She felt that Allison had been almost hiding from her the last week or so, but then again, both Allison and herself had been so busy lately. What with new jobs and boyfriends and all.

A few hours passed before Lily decided she needed a coffee break.

* * *

Meanwhile, James was sitting in a large room with the other nine Elites.

Mad-Eye Moody was standing in the front of the room, looking as severe as ever.

"Today." he started. "We will be pairing you off. The person you are paired with will be your partner for the rest of the program. If your partner is to fall in battle and to die, then you shall fight on, and we will pair off the living when we can."

James had to bite his tongue from asking if that was at all likely, they were just in a classroom after all. But he knew that's just how Moody was. Overly cautious. Overly dramatic.

He took the time to look around the room at his possible partners. One he thought he recognized from the Order meeting the other night. She was of average height, muscular, and had bobbed brown hair. James found her features severe, but slightly charming, as she did have dimpled cheeks and a kind face.

Moody began listing off partners and James only looked up when his name was called. "Potter and Meadowes."

The girl James had noticed smiled wistfully at Moody before trotting over to where James stood, she extended her hand, and looked up at James, her fierce brown eyes staring him dead in the eye.

James shook her hand and then smiled his winning, ear to ear grin.

"Hullo, I'm Dorcas Meadowes." her eyes suddenly became more kindly, and she smiled, showing off her dimples.

"James Potter. Pleasure to meet you, finally. We have been training for a few days after all." James replied. "You look familiar, surely you didn't just get out of Hogwarts?" James hoped she hadn't, he should have known her if that was the case.

Dorcas shook her head. "No, I graduated five years ago. I've been doing odd-end jobs for Dumbledore for a few years and I decided to apply for the Auror Program, and I got this."

James nodded. "You still look familiar."

Before James could enquire any further, Moody spoke up again.

"Become acquainted with your partner. Often, they will be the only thing that stands between your life and death. But don't become too personally attached, for they can fall as fast as they can stand."

James couldn't help but chuckle as Dorcas rolled her eyes.

"Moody is a brilliant man, but slightly off his rocker. Dumbledore holds him in the utmost respect." she said.

"So does my father."

Dorcas' eyes brightened. "I knew it! You are Sam Potter's son. He's a brilliant Auror himself, but I daresay they work him too hard."

"You know my father?" James asked energetically.

Dorcas nodded. "Yes, I've done some small tasks for him, as well as plenty of other Aurors. On Dumbledore's orders, mostly."

Again, before James could reply, Moody interrupted them.

"Now, today we will be practicing how to defend yourself, and your partner if need be, from the three Unforgivable curses."

James sighed. He was sure to get an excruciating workout.

* * *

It wasn't until Lily returned from her lunch break that she received a response from Allison. Lily excitedly tore it open and began to read.

_Lily,_

_It's nice to hear from you! Yes, I'd love to meet up with you sometime. How about Tuesday night? Dinner at my place and then maybe we could go out for a drink. How's the new job going, by the way? I hope this isn't interrupting your work. Well, write me back a time that's good for you. Have a good day!_

_Love,_

_Allison_

Lily folded Allison's carefree note and put it in her desk drawer. She sounded so pleasant, like nothing wicked was happening in the world. With a final sigh, Lily went back to reading through the mass folders, which, she was glad to say, making rapid pace through. The cases she was studying were absolutely intriguing and it didn't take her long before she became absorbed in the files before it was time to go home.

* * *

"James, you didn't have to walk me to Allison's. She only lives a few blocks away." Lily insisted as she and James reached Allison's flat building Tuesday evening.

James gave her his goofy grin and kissed her full on the lips. "Yes I did…this time of evening; you never know what's going on these days. And you know the precautions. No apparation in Muggle villages…"

His tone was joking but his words were full of seriousness. Lily kissed him back. "Well thank-you. But you went completely out of your way."

"No I didn't." James argued lightly. "Not for you."

"You rushed from training to your flat to change your clothes to make me think that you weren't in a rush, and then you rushed over to my flat so we could then rush over here!"

"You're right." James said. "I did go out of my way. Now appreciate me." He grinned at her and she smiled helplessly at him before turning and pressing the button that let her up to Allison's.

Before she could get through the door, however, James pulled her around and kissed her again.

When they broke away, Lily just grinned at him. "I'll see you later tonight, James. Now go get something to eat. You've got to be starving."

"I am starving. Go to dinner with me?" James said with pleading eyes, loosing the effect as he burst into laughter at Lily's face.

"Go away, Potter!"

"I am, I am…" she heard James mumble as she made her way through the door.

Lily sighed again before hearing Allison's voice come on to the intercom-type device.

"Yes?" her voice greeted.

"Allison? It's Lily." Lily replied, feeling slightly silly talking to a wall.

"Lily!" Allison exclaimed. "Come right up!"

Lily smiled to herself as the doors opened and she climbed up the stairs to Allison's flat.

Allison was waiting for Lily by her door and rushed to Lily and pulled her in a fierce hug. When she finally let go, Allison was beaming up at her, blonde hair flailing about her head wildly.

"How have you been?"

Lily smiled. "Good, how about yourself?"

Allison grinned. "Great! Come in, the pasta is ready."

She then ushered Lily in, still beaming, and then led Lily into the kitchen, where the impressive smells of Allison's good cooking emitted into the whole apartment making Lily's stomach, which was still tight with nerves for the pending conversation with Allison, lurch with hunger.

Allison began dishing the noodles followed by a meaty sauce onto two plates and Lily looked around the flat. There were pictures of Allison and Jacob together, Jacob and Ellie, the rest of Jacob's family, some of Allison's, and then a picture of Allison, Lily, and Ellie together in their fourth year. Lily grinned as she saw the picture, her hair was done in braids and it was clear that Allison had just done her makeup, as Lily typically didn't wear too much of it, and she had eye shadow flowing from her eyelid to her temples. Allison and Ellie were laughing, hitting each other with pillows, and her fourteen-year-old self was trying to make peace.

"Ready!" Allison exclaimed, grinning at Lily.

Lily smiled and took a seat.

The meal progressed slowly with Allison talking in a bubbly, happy voice about Jacob, and then asking Lily about her job, and then James, then the other Marauders, all of which Lily answered with a polite smile. Finally, Lily managed to ask Allison about her job at _The_ _Daily Prophet_.

"Oh it's going brilliantly!" Allison replied ecstatically. "They actually published a story of mine a few days ago."

Lily nodded and took a sip of her water. Now was the time.

"Yeah, I saw that."

Allison seemed to become even more excited and continued to talk. "Did you really? How did you like it? The writing, it was a short piece, but I did my best…"

Lily's expression became serious as she looked into Allison's eyes, ceasing her chatter.

"The writing was great, Allison, but you don't really _believe_ what you wrote do you?" Lily winced inwardly as she heard her words. She knew instantly this was not going to end well, but it had to be said.

Allison cleared her throat almost nervously before looking at the ground and then back at Lily, her eyes set. "Yes, I do. The Ministry says so, I mean, Barty Crouch, they say he's going to be Minister someday! I have to believe it. The Ministry and the _Prophet_ stand behind it."

Lily took another sip of her drink before talking again. "Allison, surely you know that there's more Death Eaters than that, surely you know the Ministry isn't exactly on top of everything! Remember what Dumbledore said? Remember his invitation? To the Order? The group that's organized because the Ministry _obviously isn't on top of everything_!"

Her last few words had an almost desperate quake to them, and Allison looked away.

"So that's what this is about. You're mad that Jake and I haven't signed our lives away to an organization that's deliberately interfering with the Ministry's work." Allison then looked directly into Lily's green eyes, her blue ones piercing into Lily's soul. Lily felt herself loosing the battle, she felt herself grow less confident. It was one thing to argue heatedly with an enemy, it was an entirely different thing to verbally battle with one of your best friends, a girl Lily had roomed with for seven years. But Allison kept talking, and Lily's anger soon took over all doubt.

"And that organization! It's a death wish! Do you want to die, Lily? The Ministry has everything under control! There's no reason for us to risk our lives to this…this cause, when we would be better served just going on with our normal lives! He-Who-…"

Lily standing up and facing her friend cut her off abruptly. "No reason, Allison? _No reason_? You aren't stupid! I can't believe you're believing all this…this Ministry propaganda bullshit! Can't you see that whatever the hell they're doing—_if they're doing anything_—isn't working? Can't you see that? The rare number of deaths and disappearances that the paper _does _report is still shocking! You can't see the world tumbling down around us? Are you mad?" Lily took a breath and she stared at Allison, who, not used to being at the receiving end of the wrath of Lily Evans, was practically in shock. Lily felt her face and knew it was absolutely scorching from her rage. She settled her voice to a calmer tone and started talking once more. "And as for the Order, Allison. The Order is going to stop Voldemort. If it means sacrificing my life to stop Voldemort, _I'll do it_. Because that's how much it's worth."

She then turned to grab her bag with every intention of storming out on her friend.

"Lily. We're so young. We just aren't ready." Allison's voice trembled and Lily was forced to stop and turn around and look at her. "This is so much. I don't want to see you lose your life, Lily. Please, Lily. Think it through."

Lily let out a long sigh and shook her head. "My mind is about as made up as yours, Allison. I hope you'll see differently. I hope both you and Jacob will join…"

Allison then stood up. "You don't know what you're getting into, Lily!" she exclaimed.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "And you do?"

"Yes, _I do_! My cousins, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, they're in the Order…they tell me what they've been through, not everything, but still…they practically have a close encounter with death every time they take a turn down an alleyway. I know I'm not ready for it! I don't think we're old enough!"

Lily listened to Allison's words for a moment. She had forgotten Allison was related to Gideon and Fabian, two top Aurors that both James and Sirius had a great deal of respect for.

"I've made up my mind." Lily said with finality. She then picked up her purse and headed for the door. "I'll owl you later, Allison."

Allison merely waved her off and began clearing the not-so empty plates without a word.

Lily shook her head and began to walk towards her flat against the dreary rain that had just begun to fall, not feeling at all better.

* * *

When she had returned, James had been waiting for her at her flat. Charlotte and Sirius had helped him prepare a dinner for himself, and they were in a heated game of Exploding Snap when she interrupted them.

James could tell by her red cheeks, puffy eyes, and sopping wet hair that things had not gone well.

He pulled her into a gentle hug and, when she released, dried her hair with the tip of his wand.

"What happened?" James asked quietly as he led her into the sitting room and to the sofa. Charlotte returned with a mug of tea for Lily, and she and Sirius took their game into the kitchen, sensing that Lily and James needed to be alone, but eavesdropping all the same.

Lily held in any tears and smiled weakly at James before describing the events of the evening.

* * *

**Special thanks to…shawn-small58, sharp-tongued, IAMSOAP, Stephanie xoxoxo, Star Child, complicated123, WhiteCamellia, official cheeky devil, heather-gernenz, chikichiki, glowing-ice, blvd, Jude Harrison, hoolihoopgrl131, Kaean, Forest Unicorn, and Zippy-Wings. Thanks for reviewing and continued to read!**

**REVIEW!**

**And of course, extra special thanks to my beta!**


	11. A General Concern

**A/N: Hi guys! Well I'm posting. And you guys stink at answering the polls, by the way. I think I had one reply...for Quirrel, because that sounds like squirrel, lol. Anyways, my beta likes Dorcas, and I like Emmeline. The next poll question (which you really should answer) is...What sport or activity do you wish your school had? My beta would like lacrosse, and I have to say, that sounds like a cool sport to have. I think my vote goes there too. As long as it wouldn't be in soccer season. Anywhoo...read, review, answer the poll. Have a good weekend!**

**Chapter Eleven: A General Concern **

The next night, Lily returned from work in a relatively good mood. James had comforted her for a few hours the previous night before she insisted on his leaving, he had training first thing, after all, and Lily was in considerably higher spirits. Noticing that it was only quarter to six, Lily decided to study over some case files before getting a quick dinner and then going to Hogwarts to meet McGonagall. James, of course, had insisted on taking her as far as the classroom, and had decided to come over at seven thirty. Lily, always so independent and bold, thought he was being ridiculous, but appreciated it nonetheless.

Seven-thirty approached quickly as Lily absorbed herself in her work, and was startled when she noticed it was quarter past seven and she hadn't eaten anything yet.

James arrived at exactly fifteen minutes later, trying to look as fresh as possible, but the large bags under his eyes told Lily just how tired he was.

She greeted him with a kiss, which he happily accepted, and they set off.

They found themselves outside their old Transfiguration room at five minutes to eight.

James hadn't spoken much, signaling his exhaustion.

"You all right, James?" Lily asked before entering McGonagall's classroom.

James nodded, stifling a yawn and grinning at Lily.

"We just had a lot of physical training today. Bloody exhausting." he replied.

"Well this will probably only last an hour or so, so if you'd like to have dessert or something, we could…but I understand if you're too tired." she smiled up at him, her red hair flowing down her shoulders and her green eyes twinkling.

James leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Sorry, love. I think I need my rest." He smiled apologetically, but Lily just beamed back at him.

"I knew you were exhausted, Potter. Why didn't you just admit it?"

"Because that would be no fun. I wouldn't get to see you tease me…because you know I find it absolutely sexy when you do." He gave her a wink before she hit him lightly.

"I've got to go see McGonagall. You get some sleep…" Lily said in a quiet, serious tone.

James nodded and saluted her. "Yes ma'am."

She went to hit him again but James was too quick and dodged her hand. He grinned at her once more before planting a quick kiss on her lips and turning around to head back to the Hog's Head.

"Have fun, Shnuckums!"

Lily let out a light laugh before shaking her head and opening the door, where Professor McGonagall was waiting patiently for her.

"Hello, Lily." Professor McGonagall greeted her, in kind, yet somehow prevailing severe manner.

"Good evening, Professor." Lily replied with a smile, partly from common politeness, and partly from the butterflies James had left her with.

"Shall we begin?" McGonagall asked after a moment's pause.

Lily nodded energetically.

"Alright then. Let's bring your skills up to par. I'm going to ask you to do simple basic spells, you use the same form with your eyes, but this time, don't say the incantation. Go back to how you first learned from sixth year, and incorporate it with wandless magic."

Lily nodded again and began to concentrate with a furious determination. She was going to get this right.

Professor McGonagall smiled once more before placing a single feather on her desk.

"Please transfigure this into a pillow."

Lily nodded and took a deep breath before blinking her eyes and focusing.

Not uttering a word, she turned the feather into a pillow.

Professor McGonagall smiled appraisingly at her.

"Now we'll do it again."

Lily nodded. By now she knew that all her private lessons had one thing in common; repetition.

XX

James entered the old garage that was filled with all sorts of automotive junk. In the center of it all was his work in progress, the Ford Thunderbird convertible.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He had changed into an old gray tee shirt and some old jeans that were already covered in grease stains before he set out to work.

James hadn't been working for five minutes when he was interrupted.

Sirius appeared in front of him, tailed by a smiling Remus and Peter.

"Hullo, Prongs." Sirius greeted with a grin as he searched through the toolbox.

"Padfoot…what are you all doing here?" James asked. It was a Thursday evening, and he was exhausted. He expected his friends to be the same.

Sirius shrugged. "Lily's birthday is in three days, and you aren't nearly finished yet. We thought you might need some help."

James grinned at his three friends before letting out a small yawn. "Thanks."

Peter made his way over to the car and looked at it for a minute before going to find some tools for himself.

James was about to question him but stopped himself. Peter probably knew what he was doing, it was rare, but Peter did have some useful skills, and sometimes he even surprised himself with his own cunning.

Remus, with tired bags under his eyes approached James, smiling all the same. James nodded and patted Remus on the back.

"Full moon in a few days." James stated. "We'll be there."

Remus smiled thankfully. "You guys really don't have to, I mean…know that you guys are working, you are already so tired…"

"Nonsense." Sirius interrupted. "Monday night, we'll be in James's basement as always."

"It won't be an inconvenience?" Remus asked again uncertainly.

James shook his head. "No, Moony, of course not. Besides, Lily and I are going to have dinner here Monday anyways, we're telling my parents about our engagement." James added proudly.

Remus smiled and shook his head. "I still can't believe it."

"I know." James replied with a tone that suggested that he really was in a state of disbelief.

"I mean, Prongs got Evans…" Sirius added, his eyes suddenly became brilliant and playful. "Have you shagged her yet?"

James laughed. "If I had, do you really think I'd bloody tell you?"

Sirius gave the most sincere face he could muster. "Yes, you'd tell all of us."

Remus and Peter were now grinning at James.

"You haven't, have you?" Peter asked.

James couldn't resist anymore and just smiled and shook his head. "No, we haven't. Not like it's any of your business and Lily would probably kill me for telling such…personal information."

Sirius raised his eyebrow. "Well Charlotte seems to think you have."

James, remembering Sunday, just laughed. "That's because Charlotte walked in on us having breakfast. Honestly, she's too nosy and assuming for her own good."

"Well, that's what it _looked_ like." Sirius added somewhat defensively.

James just chuckled more and began working on the car.

"No, it _looks like_ you and Charlotte are shagging each other." James grinned wickedly before ducking under the car to avoid Sirius's grasp.

Remus just chuckled softly and Peter fidgeted with his tools in concentration.

"Take that back!" Sirius exclaimed, half yelling, half laughing.

"No." James replied boldly. "Because it's true."

Sirius just shot him a glare, folded his arms, and stood silently for a minute before smiling to himself.

"Well, if you don't have a problem with it." Sirius said finally.

James let out a laugh. "Oh bloody hell, Padfoot, is that what you've been worried about?"

Sirius gave him a dark look. "Well I know how protective you are over Charlotte…she's like a sister to you."

"Yeah, Padfoot. And she's also as wild as you are, and I gave up long ago worrying about her. She does what she does, and she has sense and I deal with that." James stated before laughing again.

"And it's you, why would I care about you dating her? You're like a brother to me, I trust you, I know you don't do anything stupid…intentionally."

Sirius gave an admirable look to James before giving him a brief hug and then looking away.

James let out another small chuckle before getting to work on the car.

Remus then appeared beside him holding instructions on how to repair a carburetor.

"I think you're doing that wrong, Prongs." Remus said in a calm voice as he studied the map containing the inner workings of a carburetor.

James walked over and, as he stood a few inches above Remus, looked over his shoulder at the instructions.

"Well I'll be damned. I am doing that wrong…thanks Moony…"

Remus just nodded and continued to look over the instructions before helping James. Peter worked silently at the hood of the car, insisting that he knew how to install an invisibility booster. Sirius, meanwhile, worked on the interior of the car with his wand, claiming Lily would love blue leather to match the pending paint job, and that the Muggles didn't make cars go nearly as fast as they should while he fiddled with the speedometer.

Three hours later, and the car was practically complete, the only thing missing was a nice coat of baby blue paint, which James had picked out himself at the local hardware store.

Stifling a yawn, James stretched.

"It's looking good, guys. Thanks for all the help."

"No problem." Sirius stated brightly. James suspected he was still delightful about his approval.

"Yeah, really it was nothing." Remus added, although he looked just as worn out as ever.

Peter just smiled; glad to have been of use.

"Well, we better get home." James said after a few tired minutes. "I'll see you." he motioned to Remus and Peter, "Monday, come by for dinner first. We're going to have a sort of…dinner celebration party."

Peter and Remus both nodded and then apparated back to their separate homes; Peter's at his parents, and Remus' at Flourish and Blotts.

"Let's be off, Prongs." Sirius said finally.

James nodded before checking his watch. "I suppose it's too late to stop by and see Lily."

"Yeah, and we have training in the morning…" Sirius grumbled as he followed James out of the garage.

XX

"Very good, Lily" Professor McGonagall commented after an hour of practicing silently.

Lily smiled and wiped the line of sweat that was forming on her brow.

Professor McGonagall checked her watch and then nodded. "I'd say that's enough for tonight."

Lily placed her wand in her robe pocket and grinned back up at her old professor. "All right."

"We'll schedule again at the next meeting, which I'd say will be in the next week or so." she continued as she straightened some things at her desk.

"I'll be waiting for the owl, then." Lily replied.

"Yes…yes." McGonagall continued, her voice had something Lily rarely heard in her tone, an awkward willingness to continue conversation.

"Is there anything else, Professor?" Lily tried, diverting her eyes to the floor.

"Well, yes." McGonagall said quietly, in an almost motherly tone. "Lily, you and James and your friends are all so young. I just want you to know that Dumbledore and I, we appreciate your dedication to the cause."

"It's the least we can do." Lily replied, trying her best to look at ease.

"And the most." McGonagall replied, a grim frown reigning her thin face. "You all are risking your lives for this, and it's the most we could ask for. I'm sorry that it has to be like this. I never like seeing youth wasted in war."

Lily looked up at her old Transfiguration professor, her eyes were glistening with tears that did not come, and Lily found her eyes threatening to spill as well.

"It's all right, Professor. We know what we've gotten ourselves into, and we're ready for anything." Lily stated with a confidence she was dying to feel.

Professor McGonagall smiled a quick, light smile and nodded. "I only hope you are. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is getting more and more powerful, Lily, and things are bound to get hard, and I just want you and James and the others, I want you to continue being young, continue to be youthful. You're only young once, after all, and I don't want any of you to lose it before you've experienced it."

Lily nodded again, her heart beating quicker with the Professor's words, and she smiled back at her. "Don't worry. With James and Sirius it's going to be hard not to be youthful."

McGonagall grinned impressively. "I suppose they are just as rambunctious as they always were. Take care, Lily."

"You too, Professor." Lily waved as she made her way out of the classroom.

As she walked down the halls of her old school, her stomach lurched as she thought of the Professor's words.

She didn't want to lose her youth in the war, and she was determined to keep the others just as light hearted, no matter what stood in front of them in the future.

**Much thanks to IAMSOAP, LUV24+Alias, sharp-tongued, anonymously morgan, complicated123, WhiteCamellia, Kaean, hoolihoopgrl1131, Heather grenenz, scooter1710, Jude Harrison, Sosirius'sgurl13245, official cheeky devil, glowing-ice, Zippy-Wings, blvd, and chikichiki for BEING SO GOSH DARN GREAT AND REVIEWING!**

**Oh and Luv24+Alias…..I LOVE Alias…did you see the last episode? I think it's Vaughn! Anyways, better not get me started on that…**

**And to glowing-ice…don't worry about people getting killed off. Good people will start dying soon enough…lol. I'm just trying to increase the severity of the situation gradually. Lily and James aren't going to realize the many deaths until they're involved, as it is there point of view, so yeah. Don't worry though.**

**Thanks to my beta, who always does a great job with my work…and comes up with such great poll questions. **

**And by the way, sorry if these last few chapters are a little short. I'll try to write a long chapter soon. **

**NOW MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THE POLL! AND REVIEW!**

**thanks…**


	12. Birthday Surprises

**A/N: First and foremost, sorry for the delay. But I was really busy, honest. I had to finish my senior project research paper, and as my graduation and future depend on it, well, I had to spend a lot of time working on it. But I've turned it in! Yes! I'm so happy. So, as for the poll last week, we had some votes for cheerleading, skiing, curling (what is that exactly?), Latin, Quidditch (what school WOULDN'T want it?), archery, ice-skating, and tae-kwon-do. I'm glad there's such a variety, it lets me know my school isn't the only one lacking activities. We don't have any of those but cheerleading and Latin. Ok, so thanks for answering the poll question! This week's poll question? If you could visit any country, which would you visit? This should be interesting, as we all live in different places. So, read, review, and answer the poll! Have a good night and week!**

**Chapter Twelve: Birthday Surprises**

_James,_

_Hope your day was wonderful! Would you like to come to dinner tonight? We need to talk about tomorrow. Owl me back when you get a chance. I love you._

_Shnuckums_

James folded the note in his hand and scrambled around his parents' garage as he searched for a scrap piece of parchment and a quill. Finding what he was looking for, he wrote Lily a quick reply that he would be over after a shower and patted Ralph on the head before he set out on his journey.

James stretched and put his hand through his hair as he looked at Lily's Ford Thunderbird convertible, now a beautiful shade of baby blue. He, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had worked on it constantly the last few days, and now it was actually finished. He had rushed home from training just to make sure everything was intact before he gave it to Lily tomorrow and was now heading back to his flat before rushing to Lily's for what was sure to be a delicious meal.

When James arrived at Lily's, he was overwhelmed with the aromatic waves wafting from the kitchen; it was obvious that Lily had been busy all day.

"James!" Lily exclaimed as he walked in, she greeted him with an awkward kiss, holding the knife as far away as possible while still being able to embrace James.

James grinned and chuckled. "Is it safe to let you walk around with a knife in your hand? Or are you just ready to attack any intruders that have the guts to enter your flat?"

Lily smirked. "You really shouldn't tease a woman with a knife in her hand, Potter."

"You really shouldn't leave your door unlocked like that, Lily." James replied in a more serious demeanor.

Lily let out a sigh as she walked back to the kitchen, James tailing her at a safe distance, as Lily loved to talk with motions, and she was currently holding a knife sharp enough to dismember any part of him.

"I knew you were coming, honestly, I only unlocked it a few minutes ago. It's not like the Apples are going to let just any stranger come up here."

"You know that's not what I mean." James replied in a hushed voice, causing Lily to turn around and give him a solemn look.

"I know, I promise I'll lock it from now on, and put a few charms on as well. It was only this one time, James. Honestly."

James just gave her a small smile as they entered the kitchen and focused his attention to the food being prepared, as any hungry young man was likely to do.

"I've fixed pork chops." Lily said with a quick blink, levitating the top covering the pan of simmering pork chops with her bright eyes.

James didn't know whether to be more fascinated by the food or by Lily's talent.

He decided to smile at her. "The pork chops look delicious. Are you practicing your optic magic?"

"No, actually, I was just darting my eyes around the place looking like a fool for absolutely no reason." Lily replied with a sarcastic smile, causing James' heart to speed up and flutter with laughter. "Dinner is ready."

James nodded and began helping her carry the food out onto the table; it was when he saw the table set for two that he realized Charlotte wasn't there.

"Where's Charlotte?"

Lily gave a secret smile. "She's out with Sirius."

"Ah." James replied as he took his seat. "I believe Sirius did mention something about that."

"What did he say? What's going on between them?" Lily energetically asked, with a girlish way about her.

James laughed at her amusement with the situation and explained what Sirius had said to her, leaving a few of Sirius' choice words out, for Sirius' sake and his. He highly doubted Lily would like him talking about their sexual status with anyone; it was a private matter, after all.

Over the course of dinner, they laughed at Sirius and Charlotte's secrecy, talked about work, and joked about exactly how Petunia would react to their marriage.

It was only when James realized there was barely anything left on his plate when he realized Lily had invited him with a purpose.

As she began to clear the table, James stood up and helped her, while at the same time continuing the conversation.

"So was there something specific you wanted to talk about tonight? About tomorrow?" He asked as Lily levitated the dirty plates and glasses into the sink with the slightest of clanks, and began bringing chocolate pudding out of the refrigerator.

James, shortly occupied with the chocolate pudding, focused his attention back to Lily when she began to reply.

"Yes, actually. Hold on."

She quickly placed the pudding and dishes on the table before dashing to her room and returning with a piece of parchment, quill, and a bottle of emerald-colored ink.

James only raised his eyebrows as he returned to his seat, intent on eating the pudding and listening to Lily at the same time.

"Right. Well, I was thinking about how to tell the news to my parents, and I realized we need to have a response if they start flooring us with questions."

"Do you really think that likely?" James asked light-heartedly, even as his stomach began clenching with butterflies.

Lily nodded with the most seriousness James had seen in her all night.

"Yes, knowing my parents. I just don't want to be caught off guard." Lily explained as she watched James move his hand slightly to force the spoon to serve the pudding onto their dishes.

"Show off." Lily grinned and continued. "I think we've just got to ask ourselves some questions about marriage, to get some answers prepared."

James nodded while he spooned the dessert into his mouth and listened. Lily nodded responsively and began to talk again.

"I think the first thing we have to ask ourselves is where we're going to live, I know I have this flat on lease for a year, so there's still a good six months or so I'm going to have to find a flat mate for Charlotte, and then there's your flat." Lily started writing down the question asked and prepared to write down their options.

James grinned as Lily scrawled and he reached his hand over to put a lock of hair behind her ear that was threatening to fall into the inkbottle. Lily looked up and smiled back as he spoke.

"We'll just have to look for some flat mates for Sirius and Charlotte, I think Remus could live with Sirius, and maybe Grace with Charlotte. And as for where we're going to live, I'd like to buy a house for us."

Lily raised her eyebrows at James's presumptuousness. "Are you sure we can afford a house?"

James nodded doggedly. "Yes, I mean, my parents have given me all sorts of saving bonds and such for an occasion like this, and I'm working. It won't be a big place, just a small cozy cottage, maybe in the country."

A broad smile shimmered on Lily's face as she thought of a peaceful white cottage with a garden for her and James to share. "I like that idea, if you're sure we can afford it, and that it's worth it."

"Of course it's worth it. It's for us, for you. You're worth everything, Lily, and so much more." He gave her his silly grin and began eating again, and Lily smiled to herself as she jotted down the response.

As the evening pressed on they were able to touch a wide variety of topics dealing with married life, and Lily and James found themselves feeling excited and hopeful by the end of the evening.

They were certain life was going to be just perfect.

The parchment was full of their plans and dreams and Lily smiled as she looked over it as James cleaned up the kitchen with a few half-hazard swishes of his wand.

"All done." James announced triumphantly grinning and folding his arms proudly.

Lily laughed as she placed the parchment back on the table and embraced James with a warm hug and a tender kiss.

"I should help clean up more often." James observed as they broke apart, smiling like the fool he was.

Lily swatted him playfully before her eyes lit up. "Let's go for a walk in the park!"

James grinned and soon found himself following Lily down the streets of London until they got to what Lily claimed to be the best park in the city, James just laughed and cooperated, and as he looked at her, he knew tomorrow was going to be one of the best days of his life and that everything would work out.

* * *

James had left Lily's two minutes after midnight, after being the first to wish her a very happy eighteenth birthday.

It was now six in the morning, and James had apparated to his parents' house to pick up Lily's car and then drive it to London to pick her up.

He would have liked to have picked up the car and gotten away unnoticed by his parents, but knowing his mother and father, it had been impossible.

"James, is that you?" he heard his mother, clad in a nightgown and robe, call as she appeared on the back lawn, watching James drive the car from the garage.

James sighed and put the car in park before going to meet his mother.

"Morning, Mum." He greeted her with a hug.

"What are you doing out here so early?" a questioning look passed over her striking, yet tired features before realization hit her. "Oh, that's right, it's Lily's birthday. Hold on, I have something for her."

"It can wait Mum, we're going to be over tomorrow night for dinner, like I told you, I've really got to go…we're due at Lily's parents for lunch and it's a two hour drive to London from here and another two hour drive to Surrey." James replied in the most polite, yet anxious manner.

His mother ignored him and continued on her way to the house. "Monday isn't Lily's birthday, James. She needs her present today."

James let out a sigh of impatient exasperation but let his mother run in the house to grab her gift. She appeared minutes later with an elaborately wrapped package. She handed it to James and then smiled.

"That's from your father and I. Tell Lily I said happy birthday." she said.

James took the present and nodded. "Yes, Mum. I'll see you tomorrow."

He then put the gift in the car and opened the driver's side door when his mother stopped him yet again.

"You look nice, James." she smiled. James couldn't help but blush a little. He had put on a bright royal blue shirt with a dashing black tie with matching black pants. "Drive safely."

James nodded and continued on his way, appearing at Lily's door approximately two hours later.

"Happy birthday, Shnuckums." James said as he greeted her with a kiss by the doorway. She looked lovely, as usual, with her thick red hair cascading down her shoulders and wearing a pretty light blue summer dress.

James felt Lily grin into him as they kissed and when they broke apart, Lily was smiling.

"I'm so excited, are you ready to go?" she asked with such an energy that it surged into James as well, so that he felt that it was his birthday as well.

"Yes, but you're going to have to close your eyes. I have a surprise for you." James said he pulled out a bright red handkerchief.

Lily's eyes sparkled with excitement and she beamed. "What have you done, James Potter?"

"Nothing, it's just a small surprise. Now put this on."

Lily put her hands on her hips in a playful way. "I know you, Potter. There's no such thing as 'small' with you."

"Just turn around." James persisted. Lily sighed and relaxed her arms to her sides as she turned around and closed her eyes. James smiled to himself as he tied the blindfold around her head and then turned her to face him. "Ready?"

Lily smiled and showed her white teeth. "I need my purse and coat."

"I'll get them for you, just stay right there. Where are they?"

"On the couch." Lily replied as she wiggled in the one spot, teasing James by looking like she was going to move, but never daring to. She was clumsy enough with sight as it was.

James appeared behind her moments later with her purse and coat in tow, he then locked the door behind them and led Lily down the stairs and to her new car with caution.

Lily laughed to herself as they made the slow trip. "People are going to think you're robbing and kidnapping me."

James chuckled as well. "I am."

"Just hold me for a good ransom. At least a million galleons."

"And here I was thinking you could go for half of that." James teased as the noise of the street abused their ears as they exited the building.

James walked Lily to his parking spot and held her still with his arms around her waist as he whispered into her ear.

"Ready?"

Lily smiled. "As long as you aren't about to push me into traffic, yes."

James chuckled as he undid her blindfold and let it fall carelessly to the sidewalk.

He heard Lily gasp as she opened her eyes.

"James! Is this for me?" she asked astonished by the baby blue convertible sitting just inches from her touch.

"No, the present inside is." James replied with sarcasm. "Of course it's for you, I don't have any other fiancée to restore and customize American cars for."

Lily elbowed him playfully and turned around to kiss him.

James obliged happily and let his arms travel around and down her waist.

"This is too much, James." she whispered.

James smiled. "It's not enough. I love you, and come on; you'll look beautiful driving this car."

"I really can?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes." James replied as he held out the keys to her. "Let's go."

Lily let out a small squeal as she climbed into the car as James walked to the passenger's side door and let himself in.

* * *

Three hours later after much, in James' opinion, narrow escapes with death, two run traffic lights, and three times getting lost, the arrived in Lily's old neighborhood.

"Bloody hell, Lily. I thought you would be a good driver." James teased as they started to make their way down a familiar street.

Lily chose to ignore him with no response except for the smallest twitches of a threatening smile playing on her face.

They pulled into Lily's drive and James let out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin, we made it, alive and with all our limbs! Rejoice, Lily, oh love!" he chuckled.

Lily tried to glare at him but it was hopeless, she turned off the engine and unbuckled her seat belt before turning to James with a smile.

"Ready?" she asked in a quiet, almost timid tone.

James nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yes, let's go."

Lily grinned, quickly reached the back of her neck, unlatched the back of her necklace, and slid her engagement ring off the silver chain before delicately placing it on her left ring finger. James grinned back at her and they made their way to the doorstep.

She turned the doorknob and let James in and Walter, her old lovable cat, out.

"Lily dear, is that you?" they heard Mrs. Evans call from the kitchen.

"Yes Mum, we're here." Lily replied as she placed her coat and purse on the coat rack.

Beverly Evans appeared in the living room wearing an apron and smiling in a welcome, motherly fashion before pulling them both into hugs and kissing their cheeks.

"Happy birthday, dear." she said to Lily before turning her attention to James.

"And I swear you've grown another foot since I saw you last."

James smiled back at her with his face tingeing slightly red.

"You two should really stop by more; you aren't that far away, you know." Lily's mother commented as she made her way back to the kitchen.

Lily looked at James before following her mother into the kitchen. "I write at least once a week. Where's dad?"

Ms. Evans shuffled around the kitchen. "Oh he's outside doing something or another. And when you write, it's only a sentence or two. At least write longer letters."

"All right, Mum." Lily obliged as she helped her mother set the table. James stood in the kitchen awkwardly looking around for something to do when he heard Mr. Evans come in the front door.

"Who's car is out in the driveway, Bev?" he called out.

"What car?" Ms. Evans replied, walking back to the living room, as she hadn't noticed any odd car.

Lily and James exchanged a look before smiling and following Lily's mother back into the living room, like they were playing some sort of child's tag game.

"It's mine, Dad." Lily said proudly. "James gave it to me for my birthday."

Mr. Evans seemed to notice his daughter and her boyfriend for the first time as he turned his attention to her and then to James, with the slightest of suspicious looks.

"Yes, he fixed it up and painted it for me." Lily said, standing closer to James.

James nodded. "That's right. Sirius, Peter, and Remus helped too, of course."

Patrick Evans raised an eyebrow. "Are those mechanics?"

A look of confusion passed over to James as he glanced at Lily. What was a mechanic? "Um, they're friends."

"Is it safe? Has it been inspected?" he asked.

"Yes sir, it's safe. I wouldn't let Lily in anything that was dangerous. I inspected it with a few spells I know."

Mr. Evans nodded approvingly and then smiled at James before patting him on the back.

"It's nice to see you, James. Hope Lily hasn't driven you mad."

Lily rolled her eyes at her father. "Nice to see you too, Dad."

Patrick smiled at his youngest daughter. "Well I suppose we should go on with lunch, then? It's not every day a man's youngest daughter turns eighteen. I need a drink."

Beverly chuckled at her husband. "The food's ready." she then turned to Lily. "Petunia and Vernon weren't able to come; they had some important dinner for Vernon's work. She's dreadfully sorry and says to wish you a happy birthday."

Lily scoffed. "I'm sure she did."

The fact that her sister and ignoramus brother in-law weren't there for the meal only lifted Lily's spirits, and she dragged James into the dining room for lunch.

Taking their seats, Lily's mother smiled broadly at her as she began to dish food onto her daughter's plate. Lily shook her head and just laughed.

"Mum, you haven't put food on my plate since I was like…ten." Lily protested lightly.

Lily's mother just shook her head. "You don't eat enough, honestly. Put some meat on those bones."

"I have plenty of meat on my bones." Lily said somewhat self-consciously as she looked down at her soft stomach and touched it lightly. Lily had never thought herself particularly pudgy, but she wasn't just a bag of bones, either.

James just smiled at her and then Mrs. Evans began to pile food on his plate as well, but James didn't bother protesting.

"This looks lovely, Beverly." James commented as he looked down at the delicious pork-chops Lily had fixed only last night for him. Lily got James's attention by placing her hand softly on his knee. James looked up with surprise and they shared a smile. James eyeing the pork-chops, and Lily knowing he would never grow tired of them.

"I just know how you love them." Mrs. Evans replied with a smile. "I hope you like everything else."

James nodded approvingly as he started to eat the noodle salad in front of him.

Patrick Evans just ate quietly, and Beverly felt the need to develop conversation.

"So Lily, what are you doing tonight for your birthday?" she asked. "Going out with friends?"

Lily dabbed her lips with her napkin and thought for a moment. She hadn't yet made up with Allison, but she hadn't seen Ellie in a few weeks. Sure, they corresponded often, but they hadn't actually spent time together since June. "I think so. It depends what time we get back tonight."

Beverly nodded. "Before you leave don't let me forget to give you your presents. And the cake, it's lovely."

Lily smiled. "Have I ever let you forget my presents?"

"No, but eighteen, that's getting on up there." Patrick replied quick-wittedly. "You'll start forgetting things soon."

Lily stuck out her tongue at her father, causing him to laugh, James to chuckle, and Beverly to scold her.

"That's not polite, dear."

Lily grinned at her mother and continued to eat.

Lunch passed by with loving conversation and many laughs, and soon Lily helped her mother clear the table and set the place for the birthday cake.

"The cake is delicious, Mum." Lily complimented as she took another bite from her slice, as James tried discreetly reaching for another piece.

Mrs. Evans caught him however and piled a large slice onto his plate, causing Mr. Evans to laugh and James to thank her repeatedly.

Once the cake started to disappear, Lily realized they needed to tell her parents. She caught James's eye and he nodded.

Lily smiled at her mother and father and James cleared his throat.

"Beverly and Patrick, Lily and I have an announcement to make." he said with a deeper tone Lily recognized as the mature tone he used when he used to ask her out. James's stomach knotted in anticipation and his palms were sweaty out of nervousness.

"Lily and I, we're engaged. We're going to get married."

* * *

**All right, I have some reviewers to thank! I appreciate all of your reviews, really.**

**myzteek (cross country! Yay! I run it too!), shadowsquirrel, IAMSOAP, ktsweep08, Heather gernenz, hoolihoopgrl131, complicated123, kaean, luv24+Alias, glowing-ice, blvd, forest unicorn, chikichiki, and hilaryjojo.**

**Jude Harrison: Oh latin is fun! I've taken 3 years of it.**

**dancergrl19- I wrote before HBP, and yes they're going to defy Voldemort three times, don't worry.**

**White Camellia: No, they haven't slept together.**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**So please, review again, and answer the poll!**


	13. The Expected Announcement

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry for the wait. Busy schedule…and for the first time, writer's block! It's almost exciting. I hope you enjoy this chapter…the results for the last poll….well the winner was Great Britain/England, but I really wasn't surprised. Other vacation spots…Vietnam, Russia, France, Scotland, Switzerland, Ireland, Egypt, Czech Republic, China, and Israel. I would like to visit Ireland the most right now, but that's where my dad's family's from. But I also want to visit France, Germany, England, Spain, Sweden, and Austria. I might go to New Zealand this summer. For the next poll question…(sponsored by my beta, of course) Where would you like to get married…cruise ship? church? house of a family member or your own house? the beach? or any other location? Well, read, enjoy, and review!**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Expected Announcement **

The news rang through the dining room like a phone of the hook; no one was replying-or doing anything for that matter, for a few minute-length seconds.

"You're what?" Beverly asked, wondering if in her middle age, her ears were already deceiving her.

"We're engaged, Mum." Lily said in a tone more courageous than she felt.

"I thought I heard you right." she said. "Could you help me bring the cake in the kitchen, Lily?"

Lily excused herself quickly, darting her eyes at James, as if it wasn't obvious her mother was getting ready to have a private conversation with her.

"You're getting _married_?" Beverly asked in astonishment. "Oh, Lord, you're pregnant!" she gasped, pulling her hand to her mouth.

"No, no, Mum." Lily insisted, trying to hold back any laughter at the severity of the situation. "I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure? Then why are you getting married so early?" Her mother continued. "So…young?"

"I am not pregnant, mother. Honestly, James and I haven't ever-" Lily's face turned a deep red and she started talking again as her mother recognized what she had been about to say. "James and I, we're in love, and we're ready. We just feel it, Mum. We know we're young, but we're ready for this!"

Beverly Evans sighed as she looked at her daughter.

"How long have you been engaged?" she asked.

Lily sighed and looked at the floor. Her mother wasn't going to like being lied to; she should have seen this coming. "Since graduation."

Beverly Evans didn't raise her voice at her daughter, she didn't say a word, except to usher Lily back into the dining room, saying they'd been putting cake away long enough.

Lily returned to see James in deep conversation with her father, and Patrick Evans nodding slightly at what James was saying.

She took her seat, and her mother did so as well.

"So I assume you've talked about this together, then? Do you two know the responsibilities of marriage? James, how do you plan to support Lily? Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

Before James could reply to the Spanish Inquisition, Patrick Evans spoke up, surprising both James and Lily.

"He's got a plan, Bev. They'll be all right. He knows what he's getting himself into, and I think Lily does too. The best thing for us to do is to approve, after all, they aren't too young, Petunia is only three years older than Lily, and she got married at twenty-two. I approve of James, he's a respectable young man, Lily loves him, and James loves her." He gave a quick look to James and James nodded, still in shock that Patrick was supporting their marriage.

Beverly seemed to be shocked as well, as she found herself momentarily speechless.

"Very well, then. I do approve of James, Lily. You have our blessings." Beverly smiled at her youngest daughter and future son-in-law before she and Lily became absorbed in the decorations for the wedding and Patrick tried his best to give James advice on the Evans women.

A little less then an hour later, Lily found herself back in her new car with a few of her presents, this time with James driving.

"Are you sure you don't want to drive?" James asked her a third time before they were even out of the neighborhood.

"No, I'm a little tired, if you don't mind driving, that is." Lily replied with a small yawn.

James just grinned with a mischief in his eyes Lily knew too well. "No I don't mind, check out what Sirius and I installed."

Lily's eyes widened as she looked at James. "Nothing _illegal_, right?"

James didn't reply, instead he pressed a button just under the radio, and with a small jerk the car spun off at a dangerous speed, zipping through traffic like a mouse in a maze.

"James!" Lily exclaimed out of fright and surprise. "You're going to get us killed!"

James grinned. "No I won't, look, I got the idea from the Knight Bus. Muggles can't see us, and we're too fast to collide with anything."

As he was speaking, however, he was forced to slam on brakes before they rear-ended the back of a bus.

One look from Lily and James sighed and pressed the button, adjusting the car back to a normal and safe speed.

"Oh, you're no fun." he complained, grinning all the same.

He reached for her hand and stroked it gently as they proceeded back to London.

"We're getting married, Lily." James stated in a tone of wonder and bliss.

"We are, and my parents approve!" Lily chimed in happily.

"Now we just have to worry about mine." James commented in a lower tone. They hadn't put much thought into telling Mr. and Mrs. Potter, but now the fact that they would be dining with James' parents the next night was quite present in their minds.

"You don't think they'll be upset, do you?" Lily asked with worry.

James smiled at her and shook his head. "I don't think so. They were fairly young when they were married, and they're just fine."

Lily nodded, although her stomach was still tense. She sighed and looked around the car, noticing the beautifully wrapped package in the back seat for the first time.

"What's that, James?" she asked as she began to reach for it.

"That's for you; from my Mum and Dad…I forgot I put it back there. Go ahead and open it." James said casually, trying to not let his curiosity show through as he paid attention to the stretch of road before him.

Lily opened the package tenderly, wondering what kind of gift awaited her.

She gasped as she tore the paper, books, items that would always be on Lily's gift list.

"Did you get something good?" James asked teasingly.

"I got a book on charms! And a magical cookbook! And then one for house hold spells! And a beautiful knit scarf and hat!" Lily exclaimed as she fingered the mass pile. She pulled out the matching scarf and hat and grinned wildly.

"They're beautiful!" she exclaimed happily.

The scarf and hat were indeed pretty and well made with yarn of an exotic shade of yellow.

"Why in the world did she make you those now? It's August!" James commented, embarrassed that his mother had given Lily's birthday enough thought to actually hand-make her something so wonderful, and at the same time, glad that his mother approved enough of her to put the energy into it.

Lily shrugged as she put on the big floppy hat and wrapped the scarf around her neck playfully.

"Oh, it'll be cold soon enough! These are so fun!" she giggled.

James looked at her and couldn't help but to smile at her. She looked so adorable and happy that his heart warmed for the moment he was able to watch her before turning his careless attention back to the road.

"They look pretty on you." he said simply enough.

Lily smiled as she played with the scarf and sank back into her seat as she went through her new charms book.

"I'll have to thank your mother when I see her tomorrow…maybe I could make something from the cookbook! Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful?" she exclaimed in thought before switching her books.

"I'm sure she'd love that." James replied as they entered the traffic packed roads of London and made their way back to Lily's flat.

James smiled as he drove, perfectly content being with Lily.

* * *

He parked her new car outside of her apartment building and helped her out of the car.

"Shall we?" James said, smiling as he offered her his hand.

"Only if you help me bring in these things." Lily replied holding her books out to James, who took them happily, as she made sure her hat was safely placed on her head and her scarf tight around her neck.

"Silly Lily." James commented in a sing-song voice. Lily laughed and led the way to her flat.

They entered the dark flat together, and James, his hazel eyes bright with mischief, came up behind Lily put his hands over her green eyes.

Lily tried to question him, but James responded with a simple hush, and Lily closed her mouth tight.

"On the count of three." James whispered in her ear.

Lily's heart rate sped up at his voice, what was going on?

"One." He said lightly, blowing in her ear. "Two." his breath tickled her cheek and she giggled. James smiled broadly before one final whisper. "Three!"

Her black pupils shocked with the sudden burst of light, shrunk to a miniscule size and Lily gasped.

The entire flat was done in pastel shades of blue, yellow, violet, and green. Streamers lined the walls and ceiling, balloons of all shapes floated about, and best of all, her group of friends were standing in the room beside her.

She was immediately flanked by Ellie and Allison, the latter pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for fighting! But please, let's understand each other and get along." Allison said, her blue eyes pleading with Lily's bright green ones.

Lily nodded. "Yes, I'd really miss you if you decided to never speak to me again. I'm sorry."

Ellie smiled at the both of them in their apology, but Lily had soon tackled her into a great embrace.

"Ellie! I haven't seen you in forever!" Lily exclaimed.

"Well, whose fault is that?" Ellie said with a laugh. "Miss-I-have-a-job!"

Lily pouted. "I'm sorry we haven't been in better touch. But we'll have to hang out as much as possible before you go to school. You can help me plan the wedding!"

And with her words, the girls were launched into the exciting topic of holy matrimony.

The evening passed by happily, full of much catching up, laughs, drinks, and fun.

At one that morning, Lily, James, and Charlotte had to convince their friends to leave as quiet as possible, the Apples might complain, and Charlotte and Lily couldn't afford to live anywhere else at the moment.

Sirius left last, behind Remus and Grace, who Lily found to be quite funny and entertaining once she opened up a little.

"I'll see you in a few, Prongs." Sirius said before belching loudly, causing the three remaining to make faces of disgust. "Well, I think I will…unless you and Evans here have something planned…" He gave a cheesy wink to Lily, who rolled her eyes at his antics. James told him to shut up, which he seemed to take to heart, as he didn't say a word after, but Lily thought that might have had more to do with his mouth being occupied with Charlotte's until the moment he apparated home.

Charlotte, breathless, excused herself to the kitchen to help clean up.

"Are you sure you don't need any help cleaning up around here? Sirius, Peter and I did make quite a mess…"

Lily smiled at him. "Well, the food-fight wasn't exactly the cleanest game to play, but I think I can manage a scourgifing spell or two. Your mother did give me that book, I can use it!" She laughed lightly. "And besides, you have to be up early for training."

"You have to work first thing tomorrow." James argued. "Come on, I'll help."

He made the motion to pass Lily into the sitting room to start cleaning, but Lily put her hand up to his chest to stop him. He looked down at her green eyes, and raised his eyebrows in question.

"James, Precious, Charlotte and I have it…if you stay, I'm worried you'll be more of a _distraction_ than help."

Before he could open his mouth to protest, Lily covered it with her lips and began kissing him, letting her hand rest on his chest while his reached for her hips.

They broke apart eventually, and James nodded. "I'll go. I'll see you tomorrow evening, though. Want me to pick you up?"

Lily nodded. "I'll see you at six. We can apparate over, right?"

"Yes…since it's to a magical village. We'll be fine. I'll see you then. Happy Birthday, love."

She grinned at him and gave him one more quick kiss. "Thanks for everything, James. I love you."

"It's nothing if it makes you happy. Good night." James made his way for the door but Lily's playful words stopped him.

"It's good morning, James."

James beamed at her and nodded before turning the handle and making his way down the stairs as discreetly as possible.

* * *

The next evening, James knocked on Lily's door at ten till six. Lily rushed around her flat frantically searching for her blouse. Charlotte laughed at her as she spooned yogurt into her mouth. Lily glared at her.

"Answer the door, please! And distract him for a few minutes…" she exclaimed as she scurried from her sitting room, where fresh laundry lay scattered from Lola's play. She found the light green blouse, slightly wrinkled, but otherwise fit for wearing.

A groan escaped her, why didn't James realize that when she said six, she meant six ten? Didn't he know girls weren't ready until the last minute? She buttoned up the blouse and reached for her wand, producing a charm to remove the crevasses in the shirt.

She heard James's deep voice giving greetings to Charlotte, who was successfully distracting him with conversation.

Lily silently thanked her and rushed to her room, where she put a brush through her hair, changed her earrings, and then checked her reflection once more. Content for the moment, she smiled at herself before greeting James.

"You look beautiful." James said as he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "And your hair smells good. Like flowers!"

Lily laughed as she grabbed her purse and a cake she had made. "Ready?"

James checked his watch and smiled. "Six o'clock. Right on time."

Lily gave him a look of exasperation. "Did you plan it like that?"

James nodded; he knew that Lily never started getting ready until the moment he arrived. "Yes, Charlotte, are you sure you don't want to come? Sirius will be there; Peter and Remus too."

Charlotte shook her head. "No, I've got some paperwork to do. Tell your parents and Sirius I said hello."

"Will do." James replied cheerfully before offering Lily his arm. "We'll be off, have a good night."

Lily gave Charlotte a final smile before leaving her to her thick folders full of parchment.

* * *

"Good evening!" greeted Margaret Potter, in a lively, happy tone as she hugged Lily and James.

Lily smiled at her future mother-in-law. "Hello, how are you, Margaret?"

Mrs. Potter smiled kindly at Lily, her eyes were tired, but glistening; her skin smooth, yet cracking with wrinkles. She looked worn, but happy.

"I am well, dear. And how are you? Keeping James out of trouble, I hope?"

"The best I can, but you know, it's impossible to keep him out of mischief entirely, especially when he gets with Sirius."

Mrs. Potter chuckled as James sighed and took off his coat.

"I've been good mum, promise. Is that stew I smell?" He asked distractedly.

She nodded. "The house-elves have been preparing a feast for about three hours now. Come in and take a seat, Sirius, Peter, and Remus are already here with their things in their rooms." (

James nodded. "How's Moony?"

"A little tired looking, but not as bad off as usual. Dark circles under the eyes, but a smile twinkles in them." Margaret smiled, and Lily was compelled to address the cake in her arms.

"Thanks for the books and that hat and scarf…they're so lovely. I can't wait for it to get cold. I even used one of the recipes…chocolate cake." Lily said, with a tone more at ease than she felt.

"Oh, it looks wonderful! We'll have to have it for dessert! And I'm glad you liked the gifts…James said you liked Charms and cooking so I did my best."

"The books are brilliant, I went over recipes during my lunch break." Lily smiled bashfully.

"Oh, did you get to the Italian ice recipe? It's one of my favorites." Margaret replied with youthful energy.

"I looked over it, it looked delicious, I'll have to make it for you sometime."

Before Margaret could reply, a chime went off in the kitchen and she excused herself, leaving Lily and James to follow her.

James smiled at her and shook his head.

"What?" Lily asked, grinning idiotically at him.

"Nothing…it's just, sometimes, I think you and my mother get along too well." he laughed, and Lily shook her head.

"The full moon is tonight?" Lily inquired, more of a statement rather than a question.

James nodded as he took her hand. "Yes, the guys are staying over for the transformation…Mum let's us use the basement."

"She knows about your animagi?" Lily asked with surprise in her voice, James's parents seemed stern when it came to magical laws, especially ones that if broken, could result in a permanent stay in Azkaban.

James looked uncomfortable and put his finger over his lips. "Shh. No, well, I haven't told her, but she knows the guys stay over occasionally during the full moon, for Moony. I reckon she might know, but my father definitely doesn't."

Lily nodded as they entered the kitchen to see Sirius and Peter clamoring about, Remus seated quietly by the window watching his two friends with amusement. He was as Margaret said, tired but content.

At this time, Samuel Potter entered, smiled and waved at James and Lily, and took his seat at the dinner table, before Margaret insisted they were all eating in the dining room. Sam got up, smiled at them again, and made his way to the dining room.

Like Mrs. Potter, he looked extremely exhausted, but determinedly cheerful. James put his hands on Lily's shoulders and began to massage them casually.

"Moony, how are you feeling?"

It appeared to be the first time his three friends noticed him and Lily; they turned to where he stood and nodded in recognition.

"Fairly well, considering." Remus said quietly.

"Considering what?" Peter foolishly asked in a moment of obliviousness.

"Considering he's turning into a raging, blood-thirsty monster in less than" Sirius checked his watch, "Six hours."

"Thanks, Padfoot." Remus replied sarcastically. "Glad you're a sensitive bloke."

Sirius grinned charmingly at him before going back to dueling Peter with a spoon. Peter, without a spoon or any utensil, was trying frantically to curse Sirius by tapping his wand against the spoon. Sirius barked with laughter, and the other teenagers couldn't help but join in.

"Does Grace know where you are?" Lily asked quietly as she took a seat next to Remus. He studied Lily for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.

"You mean, does she know why I'm here? Yes. I told her." he said casually.

James, who had taken the seat next to Lily's, grinned broadly and patted Remus on the back. "Well way to go, Moony."

Lily smiled. "How did she take it?"

Remus took a sip of water before addressing the question. "She was a little nervous at first. Asked a lot of questions, she's Muggle-born, after all. Then, once she calmed down a bit, she smiled, apologized for her peculiar behavior and gave me a hug. She says she still loves me."

Lily's keen ears picked the insecurity in Remus' mellow voice. "And do you have any reason to doubt her love?"

Remus shook his head. "No, it's just…kind of hard to trust someone so much, you know?"

Lily nodded and then looked at James, who had been staring intently at her. "Yes, but it's worth it. Trust is a great investment."

Remus nodded as Mrs. Potter announced dinner was on the table, causing Sirius and Peter to stop their duel (Peter's wand managed to backfire and shoot a cloud of soot into his flabby face) and run to the dining hall.

The three remaining got up from their chairs and made their way to smell of aromatic food.

The meal was to everyone's liking; the boys at the table, Sam included, had at least a second helping of every dish, and Lily couldn't help but be tempted by the scalloped potatoes a few times. Margaret caught her on her third helping, and Lily looked away guiltily. Mrs. Potter just laughed and encouraged her to have as much as she liked.

When Lily's anticipated cake arrived, she gave James a hinting look, that it was time to make their announcement. To her surprise, James gave her a discreet shake of the head, and continued eating his piece of cake.

"This is all quite wonderful, Lily." Margaret complimented.

Lily smiled bashfully. "Thanks, the recipe was rather simple though."

Sam nodded as he took a sip of his brandy. "Yes, the food was delicious. It was nice having everyone over, too. We don't see all of you around here as often as we'd like."

The teenagers look shamefaced into their empty plates.

"Dad, we've all go work…and you know, Sirius and I are in training."

Sam Potter nodded in a proud way. "I know, son. I'm proud of the both of you. All of you really, you are all doing so well."

The awkward tension that comes with unexpected praise passed after a few moments, and soon Remus was dismissing himself to go prepare for the night. Peter and Sirius followed, insisting that they were sleepy and needed a nap.

Mrs. Potter began to send the dishes to the kitchen, and Sam, James, and Lily were left at the dining table.

Sam stretched in his chair, looked at his son and Lily, and then stood up.

"I think I'm going to go see how your mother is doing in the kitchen."

James nodded without saying a word and Lily sent him a look. Once Sam had left the room, Lily opened her mouth to speak.

"James, we've got to tell them!" She whispered urgently.

James turned and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "I know, I'm just…"

Lily's fiery eyes cooled down at James's present state. She left her chair and stood behind him and began to massage his neck.

Leaning her head down, she whispered in his ear. "You're nervous."

James looked up at her with a small smile and sighed. "I suppose I am. We need to tell them though."

He stood up from his chair, gave Lily a light kiss, and then headed towards the kitchen, motioning for Lily to wait.

A few minutes later, James, Sam and Margaret entered the room.

"James said there was something you two had to say?" Sam said.

James took Lily's hand and nodded.

"Lily and I are getting married."

A quick silence passed through the room, Sam turned to Margaret as if to be assured that he really had heard his son announce an engagement.

Sam smiled at them both for a moment. "We know."

James's face froze; it wasn't until he felt Lily's warm fingers in his that he thought to reply.

"You mean, just now, or have you known? How long have you known?" he stumbled over his inquisitive words without any real authority.

Margaret smiled slightly before speaking up. "We've known for about two weeks."

"Oh." James replied dumbly. "How did you find out? Did one of the guys tell?"

Sam shook his head. "No, Meadows, she came up to me about two weeks ago and congratulated me."

"Meadows? You mean Dorcas?" James asked suddenly. He didn't recall ever telling Dorcas about his engagement.

"Yes, she's a cute girl. Rather feisty. She's done some errands for Dumbledore and some Aurors in the past. She also said what a brilliant Auror you were going to make." Sam's eyes sparkled with pride.

"Oh." James replied quietly before taking his seat back. He was trying to work out exactly how Dorcas knew.

His father seemed to think the conversation was over; he left the dining room with Margaret behind him, leaving Lily standing quietly in the center of the room.

She turned to look at James sitting at the table, absorbed in his thoughts. Somehow, Lily felt betrayed. She knew it was a small thing to get upset over, but she could not help her emotions.

"James, I thought we agreed not to tell anyone but our friends." Lily said in a quiet tone.

James woke from his stupor and looked up at her. "We did. I didn't tell anyone, I don't know how Dorcas knew, I didn't tell her."

Lily's subtle anger, however, was not eased by his words. "And who is Dorcas?"

"My training partner. I told you that." James said dismissively as he went back to his thoughts.

"I don't remember you ever telling me who your partner was." Lily replied, still quietly, but her words were full of ice. Surely, she would remember a name like Dorcas.

James turned back to her. "I thought I did. Anyways it doesn't matter. She's just my training partner."

He seemed to feel Lily's coldness now, and stood up to face her.

"Lily, I'm sorry if I forgot to mention her, it's just Dorcas-she went to Hogwarts, she's a few years older than us. She got accepted to the Elite program, and we were paired. That's all."

"But you told her we were engaged! We agreed not to mention it to anyone until our parents knew!" Lily replied, her voice rising.

"I didn't tell her! I told her you were my girlfriend. And if it slip that I was engaged to you, I don't remember it! I'm sorry that I'm so ecstatic I can't hold it in!" James barked back in frustration.

Lily's eyes softened, and there were tears in them.

James' anger ebbed, and he moved towards her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry, Lily." he whispered as he felt her hot tears splash onto his shirt.

"I'm sorry." Lily replied, muffled through James shirt.

James kissed the top of her head and held her a few minutes more before Sirius entered the room, in his usual disturbing manner. Lily and James broke apart and turned to look at him.

Seeing that he had interrupted something he grinned. "Sorry, lovebirds. But Prongs, it's almost dark—and these came." he handed identical letters to both James and Lily. "I'm going to go see how Moony is feeling, but then we really need to get to the basement."

Sirius disappeared as quickly as he came, and James and Lily looked at their letters, addressed in Dumbledore's loopy writing.

Lily opened hers first, followed then by James.

After scanning over the lines she nodded.

"We've got a meeting Wednesday."

"It sounds important." James replied before folding his letter and putting it in his back pocket.

He looked outside the nearest window to see the sun setting quickly into the horizon, he then turned to Lily.

"I've got to go, do you want me to apparate you home? Or your welcome to stay, I'm sure my mother has all sorts of arrangements to discuss with you. She's always wanted a daughter, she's practically adopted Charlotte."

Lily nodded. "I think I'll stay for a few minutes and then I'll apparate back. I'll be careful, so don't worry."

James smiled and leaned in to give her a long kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Lily stated with a smile when they broke apart.

"Good night, Lily."

"Night, James."

* * *

**REVIEW!**

**Oh, and folks…I'm going to be busy with some major senior stuff and then out of town, so expect a chapter in about two weeks. Sorry for the wait…but this chapter was a bit long, don't you think?**

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**And of course…thanks…Missing Summer, Scooter5710, fanficluver, heather gernenz, anonymously morgan, complicated123, Torch Phoenix, dancergrl119, PhoenixNS, White Camellia, hoolihoopgrl131, Zippy-Wings, Sharp-tounged, official cheeky devil, myzteek, Kaean, Jude Harrison, glowing-ice, chikichiki, and midnightblue93!**

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**oh, and I just realized i had a c2s or whatever that is. You all should join it!**


	14. New Assignments

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the extremely long wait, but I was out of town, busy, and just had writer's block, so I'm sorry, but I promise the next chapter will be up in a week. as long as nothing terrible happens. As for the poll, most people wanted to get married in the church, but there were a few that wanted out doors during the fall (which I want too) or the beach, or outside during the spring (which is pretty too). And one for France. Which would be pretty and romantic. Next poll? What is your favorite winter time tradition? AND…Do you think Snape is evil? Answer either or both, but review!**

**Chapter Fourteen: New Assignments **

Wednesday came slowly for Lily. Madam Bones complimented her on her outstanding performance and effort, and then gave Lily a completely new set of files to look over and a dozen new cases to document. Owen Scruggs had offered a dozen times to help her, but for some reason she found herself rejecting every one of his offers. There was something about his manner that Lily didn't like, almost as if he was too eager all of the time. Owen Scruggs, however, was the least of her worries. Her mother had called her four times (since Charlotte had finally gotten the phone to work) wanting to make wedding arrangements, as Beverly kept reminding her that January was only a few months away and that Lily hadn't even picked out her dress yet. James had been too busy with training to spend time with her, although he had written several sincere apologetic notes, and Lily was still trying to figure out who Dorcas was exactly. She knew there was no romantic connection between her fiancé and his training partner, but Lily couldn't help but feel jealous. The time she couldn't spend with James was spent with someone else. Overall, she just missed not having the chance to spend every moment in James' arms.

When Wednesday evening came, Lily was ecstatic. She would finally have something fresh and interesting to focus on (not that she didn't love investigating cases, but filing was rather dull), she could see most of her friends, and she could spend time with James, who she was meeting an hour beforehand for a quick dinner at The Three Broomsticks.

She got to the pub at six-fifty, ten minutes earlier than she and James had set the date for, but Lily was to see him. She got them an intimate table away from the windows and normal hustle of the restaurant. As she sat there waiting, realization dawned on her. It had barely been two days since she had last seen James, and yet, she felt as if she hadn't touched him in years. A sense of longing came over her and she dumbly watched the seconds tick by until seven.

James appeared at two after seven, he seemed surprised to see Lily already with two glasses of water at the table and looking through a menu.

She had been so intently looking at the menu—as if she didn't know exactly what she and James would order—to distract her self from her watch, that she jumped when she put the menu down and saw James sitting, grinning across from her.

James chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, Lily."

Lily blushed slightly at her jumpy behavior and smiled.

"I was just looking at the menu here…"

"Like you didn't know that you were going to order a ham sandwich with lettuce and mustard with chips and a sliced pickle on the side?" James asked, smiling playfully.

Lily frowned as she played with the menu. "I was hoping to try something a little more exotic."

"Like what?"

She scanned the menu for a brief second, making it evident to James that hadn't really been reading the list of dishes at all.

"Grilled chicken club with Swiss cheese." she said with a triumphant tone.

"Sounds delightful, I suppose we're ready to order." James said quickly, motioning for the waitress to come take their requests.

A young woman of about twenty hastily appeared and asked what they would like to eat.

"I'll have the ham sandwich with lettuce, mustard, with chips." Lily said and then nodded towards James.

James shook his head and smiled. "I'll have the same, except add onions and mayonnaise to my sandwich."

When the woman disappeared, James looked at Lily for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"Is there something on your mind?" he inquired finally.

Lily took a quick sip of her water and shook her head. "No, I'm fine." she lied.

"Are you sure?" James asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure." she laughed like it was a foolish question. "Why wouldn't I be?"

James studied her for a brief second and shrugged. "You don't seem yourself. You just looked over a menu for Merlin knows how long and didn't get anything other than what you originally would have…you're eyes aren't sparkling. Usually they have a twinkle unless you're tired or bothered. And you haven't said much, like you're thinking about something. What is on your mind, Lily?"

Lily didn't know how to reply, she was quiet and lost for words. How was she supposed to word exactly what she had to say to him?

And before she could stop herself, she heard herself speaking.

"I'm falling even more in love with you."

The words sounded odd to Lily—yes, she loved James, but even she was puzzled at acclimation.

James, however, just nodded.

"I know exactly what you mean."

His words were easy and comforting, and Lily couldn't help but grin confidently at him as their food came.

With her feelings liberated, Lily enjoyed her dinner with James, and then they left hand in hand for the meeting.

* * *

"Please be seated." Dumbledore echoed through the old classroom immediately after James and Lily entered. Before they could spot their friends, James found them two seats in the very back beside an older wizard in a brown cloak that they hadn't met before.

"Thank you. Now, I'll call Fenwick up to give the reports, and we will get started." Dumbledore said with a respected authority.

The man named Benjy Fenwick quickly took over the spotlight and gave a somber smile before reading off the parchment in his hands.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers were thwarted by Order members a few nights ago, as two wizards in dark hoods attacked a Muggleborn witch in the hopes of getting information regarding the Minister of Magic. The Death Eaters were stopped, but disappeared before they could be properly captured and turned into respective authorities. A Muggle bus vanished with three passengers on board three nights ago. Officials think Death Eaters may have been behind the attack, and several investigations are under way…"

James got the same chill as the last meeting, and the same influx of rage pumped through his veins. The color drained from Lily's cheeks, and her eyes were sparkling with energy. James wordlessly reached for her hand and began to stroke it, Lily's eyes met his and some sort of communication passed through them.

Once Benjy was done, Dumbledore stood and gave his directions for what was to be done. He then called several people to see him, two being Lily and James.

Both surging with curiosity, they swiftly walked over to the old Headmaster.

"Good evening, Professor." Lily greeted with her usual friendly but business like manner when it came to teachers. James smiled to himself and then greeted Dumbledore as well.

Dumbledore smiled at them with the usual twinkle in his eyes, three others joined them, Dumbledore showed the way to his office.

One witch James seemed to recognize, a petite young woman with bobbed brown hair.

"Dorcas!" James greeted with a pleasant smile, still holding on to Lily's hand.

The petite woman that was walking a few meters ahead of them and steps away from Dumbledore, turned around at James' voices and smiled back.

"Hello, Potter." she replied easily, coming into stride on the other side of James.

Lily felt herself move instinctively closer to James, who put his arm around her, but kept his eyes on Dorcas.

"I thought I saw you at the meeting last time, but I wasn't sure." Dorcas continued, her eyes darted around James, and she spotted Lily, who tried to look as friendly as possible.

"You must be Lily Evans." she said rather plainly. "I've heard a lot of things about you…I'm Dorcas Meadows."

Lily nodded. "Yes, I've heard a few things about you too—"

Before Lily could continue with an inquiry, they arrived at the door to Dumbledore's staircase.

They followed Dumbledore quietly and they entered his office, taking respective seats.

Dumbledore took his chair behind the desk and looked at the five people standing before him.

James looked around the room to see two people he hadn't really noticed before. One was the man that had been sitting beside him at the meeting; the other was a witch that looked a few years older than him in bright colored robes that he didn't recognize.

"James Potter, Lily Evans, and Dorcas Meadows." Dumbledore pointed out. "Elphias Dodge and Marlene McKinnon."

The two groups looked at each other and nodded in recognition without saying a word, and Dumbledore proceeded.

"I have called you up here because I have a favor to ask each of you." Dumbledore started. "The Order has a few tasks that need to be carried out, as privately and discreetly as possible. In front of you is a folder containing your assignment. If you have any questions owl me. I'm sorry for such a brief meeting, but I have some business in Bulgaria that I must attend to."

Before they could blink, Dumbledore had vanished. Lily looked down at her lap, where a green envelope sealed in a gold binding had appeared as Dumbledore disappeared.

Lily looked to James who was fumbling with his, but not tearing the gold seal. He looked up at Lily.

"Well, if that's it. Are you ready to go or would you like to stop by and see the guys?" James asked her.

Lily shrugged. "I think we should probably just go on home…usually if Dumbledore gives out something so secretively he doesn't want it known to everyone right away, and you know how Sirius questions."

James nodded as he thought of all the scenes Sirius was capable of making. "I suppose that's best."

Dorcas smiled at them. "Yes, Sirius does make a ruckus when he wants to, doesn't he?"

James raised his eyebrow. "Do you know Sirius?"

"Oh, a little bit, I remember him from school." Dorcas explained. "And I've bumped into him a few times at the Academy."

Lily was about to inquire further when James mentioned that they should probably get going.

She waved at the three remaining people and left with James.

"I was just about to ask about how she knew about the engagement!" Lily said with exasperation as James clutched on to her hand and they found their way back to the classroom and back down to the Hog's Head.

"I know." James said shortly. "And I thought it best to get out of there before you did something irrational."

Lily stopped walking immediately and pulled her arm away from James' just as they returned to the dirty bar.

"What do you mean, _irrational_?" Lily questioned, fire burning in her eyes.

James took a deep breath, he had gotten himself into something he wasn't sure he could get himself out of.

"I just mean…well, you seem very frustrated with Dorcas and I didn't want you to, oh…well. Let your anger sort of…well, take over and make the situation bad and uncomfortable, because Dorcas hasn't really done anything."

Lily's brow furrowed as James spoke. "Hasn't done anything? James, she told you father we were engaged!"

"But she didn't know not to!" James retorted. "And besides, I think I know how she found out."

Lily's rage lessened with James' usual rational, calming words. "How?"

"Well, she mentioned she sees Sirius every once in a while. I wouldn't be surprised if he let it slip." James explained as the attention they had drawn in the bar began to turn itself back to drinking. James reached for Lily's hand again and she didn't resist. They entered the street of Hogsmeade before Lily spoke again.

"Do you really think he would do that?" Lily asked.

"Not on purpose, but out of excitement or forgetfulness or something." James explained, trying to appease his fiancée and defend his best friend at the same time.

Lily nodded quietly. "Well, I guess that could make sense, but we should really ask Sirius."

"I will the next time I see him." James promised, hugging Lily.

"I should really apparate home." Lily mentioned. "Would you like to have some tea?"

James grinned and nodded, and together they apparated to Lily's flat.

When they arrived back at Lily's, she walked to the kitchen and put a kettle on the stove (using her eyes) and began bustling around the kitchen in search for some biscuits.

James smiled as she scurried around the kitchen, and finally approached her and grabbed her around the waist.

"I'm not that hungry, Lily. Don't worry about the biscuits." James commented. Lily turned around and smiled. "Who says I was worried about you being hungry? I'm famished…" Lily laughed and James couldn't help but feel his grin broaden.

He leaned in and kissed her, breaking apart after a minute. "You know what we haven't done in a while?" he said.

Lily raised her eyebrows playfully. "What?"

"Snogged."

Lily folded her arms and pouted. "I beg to differ. We kiss all the time."

James nodded. "Yes, we kiss. But Lily, when was the last time we just snogged?"

Lily thought for a moment. "I can't say that I know what you're talking about."

James opened his mouth to argue, but Lily closed his with hers and began kissing him feverishly before he could say anything.

Many minutes later, they resurfaced for air.

"I think the water is ready." Lily whispered, out of breath.

James nodded slowly and pulled his hands away from her.

Lily poured two cups of tea for them and gave one to James before heading to the sitting room and turning on the television. James followed her and took a seat on the couch beside Lily. Outside it began to rain and Lily felt herself curl up to James for warmth and comfort.

It wasn't until she was in perfectly comfortable position that she remembered the green envelope.

"James?" she asked as a commercial blared.

"Yes?" he replied, rubbing his hands over her sides.

Lily looked at him for a moment. "Have you read what is in your envelope yet?"

James sat up straight. "No, have you?"

Lily shook her head before untangling herself from James and rushing towards the kitchen. She returned with the identical envelopes and stopped as she looked at them. Which one was hers and which one was James'?

"Mine should be a little torn on the gold seal." James mentioned, rising to meet her.

Lily nodded and handed him the worn one, and then tore hers open.

She read it carefully and found nothing too exciting. She was to research and pay careful attention to the cases of Carrow and MacNair.

James read his letter, and Lily watched as his face grew pale.

"What is it?" Lily asked, walking to him.

"Voldemort's using these things called Inferi." he said after a moment, the look of disgust remaining on his face.

Lily pressed his arm. "What are those?"

"They're dead bodies of witches and wizards taken from the grave and possessed with dark magic. Voldemort uses them as real people…real soldiers. I've got to research them and come up with a spell to use against them."

"That sounds dreadful." Lily commented, holding on to James. "But I'm sure you can do it. You're brilliant."

James looked down at her and smiled. "I'd better go, it's getting late…and we both have early days tomorrow."

Lily nodded and let him go. Before he left, she gave him a final kiss. "Don't worry James, it'll be okay. "

James gave her a final grin and waved. "I know."

* * *

**Thanks to the reviewers! **

**thanks…Scooter5710, heather gernenz, xxfirephoenixxx, dancergrl119, Missing Summer, complicated123, official cheeky devil, IAMSOAP, blvc, maraudergirl89, sharp-tongued, luv24+Alias, glowing-ice, Jude Harrison, Zippy-Wings, and chikichiki for being so wonderful!**

**and thanks to my beta, and that my humps song gets in everyone's head…it's just so catchy**


	15. Summer Ends

**A/N: Well hi everyone. You can go ahead and be mad if you like, as I did promise that this chapter would be out a week after the last one. And it's a bit later then that…so I apologize. I was busy (as usual) and so was my beta. So ha. As for the poll, some favorite winter traditions include: going to church for Christmas eve service and opening presents after, cutting down a Christmas tree, putting up decorations, snowball fights, and Christmas get-togethers with family. And most people think Snape is evil. I don't know what to think…I think he HAD to do it because of the unbreakable vow…but whether he enjoyed it or not…I don't know. That would determine is evilness. Anyhoo, if I don't update before Christmas, have a good one. And a Happy Hanukkah. Enjoy the chapter and review!**

**Oh, and people. Please check out Amantes' story… _The First Four Years_. It's good. It's a Lily/James fic that's from their younger days. So check it out.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Summer Ends**

Summer was fading rapidly; the temperature began to decline slightly, the sun shone less, and the leaves began to fall from their branches. Weeks had passed since the last Order meeting. Lily had kept busy with researching case files and doing the work Madam Bones gave her.

Currently, she was standing outside Prim and Proper, a local wedding boutique in Surrey. She was waiting for her mother and Margaret. Both were eager about picking out Lily's wedding gown, Margaret more so, as she had never been in a Muggle wedding shop before.

Moments later, Beverly Evans pulled up in her car; parallel parked, and greeted Lily with a hug. Margaret apparated seconds later and greeted Lily and Beverly with hugs and a kiss on each cheek, and then continued to tell them just how excited she was.

"It's a good thing we picked Saturday, James won't be around." she continued. "I remember when Sam and I were getting married, he kept appearing at random times trying to catch me off guard when I was looking for my gown, but you know, the groom is never to see his bride in her dress until the ceremony. Sam never liked following the rules much, a trait James seemed to inherit along with that unruly hair…let me tell you, there's nothing you can do about that hair." Margaret smiled and had that usual motherly twinkle in her eye, and Lily couldn't help but smile.

"There's nothing you can do? And I thought there was just a grooming spell he hadn't discovered yet." Lily replied, laughing.

"Oh heavens no, Merlin knows I've tried to find one, even come up with one…but it's hopeless. Besides, even if there was one, I doubt they'd use it. They think it has some level of attractiveness to it." Margaret continued while Beverly just chuckled to herself about the two women in front of her. She ushered them into the shop, but they continued talking.

"Yes, James used to mess up his hair even more when girls were watching. Especially when I was near…I swear he didn't know I hated it so much. He thought it made him look like he had just come off his broomstick."

Mrs. Potter just grinned. A clerk nearby raised her eyebrows at the word broomstick, and the three ladies burst into giggles. The same clerk appeared in front of them instantaneously.

"May I help you?" she asked politely.

Beverly nodded. "Yes, we've got a bride here, and she needs a wedding dress."

The clerk smiled kindly. "Oh, really?" she looked at the women and then eyed Lily. "Are you the lucky girl?"

Lily nodded happily. "Yes."

"All right, well, I think we have some styles that will suit you're fashion and figure down this way." She directed them to a corner in the store. "This is where most young women look first. Now, when's the wedding?"

"January ninth." Lily said, just as happily.

"Well let's move you away from the summer selection then!" The clerk laughed, leading them to a wide variety of winter dresses.

"And we have a selection of bridesmaid dresses too, if you'd like to look there afterwards." she added.

Lily smiled kindly. "We might just do that, if it's not too late."

The clerk nodded. "Well, let me know if you need any help, I'll be around the store. The name's Olivia."

"Okay. Thank you." Lily replied.

As soon as the clerk was out of site, the three women started looking through the dresses with girlish excitement. In thirty minutes, they had found five for Lily to try on. One she thought was absolutely hideous, but both Margaret and her mother thought it was beautiful, so Lily thought it best to humor them.

It took Lily twenty minutes to put on the first dress, which was a ball gown type with long sleeves and a long train.

Both Margaret and Beverly heartily approved, but Lily shook her head after looking in the mirrors.

"It's pretty, but not quite…elegant." she said.

Four dresses and an hour later, they were down to the hideous dress, and Lily was frowning.

This dress was tight fitting and sleek with long flowing sleeves.

Beverly and Margaret had to admit that it did not flatter Lily's curvy figure, and gave her permission to take it off.

Lily returned minutes later, slightly disheartened, but eager to find the perfect dress.

She stumbled through a dozen more dresses, finding nothing, before the friendly clerk reappeared.

"Excuse me, are you Lily Evans?" she asked.

Lily nodded in confirmation.

"There's someone waiting just outside for you, I asked him to come in, but he said something about you killing him if he did…" She looked slightly bewildered and Lily just nodded.

"I'll be right out."

She appeared moments later to see James pacing in front of the boutique.

"James! What are you doing here, you aren't supposed to…"

She was cut off by James' kiss, which she returned before pushing him off.

"I'm serious! You aren't supposed to help with the bridal shopping." She stated, although a smile was pulling at the corners of her lips.

James nodded. "I know, but I couldn't resist."

"And aren't you supposed to be at training?" she inquired.

James shook his head. "Lunch break."

"Well really, James…you should probably get going. How'd you find me in the first place?"

"You said you were going wedding dress shopping this morning and my mother asked me last night if I knew where Prim and Proper was, and I just put two and two together and hoped you were still here. I was worried there might be some other Lily Evans in there and she'd come out and take me as her husband. Then what would you do?"

"That's absurd, James." Lily said, trying to sound authoritative, but giggling slightly.

"It could have happened…I deserve a kiss for bravery." he announced, pulling her close.

He leaned in but Lily wouldn't oblige him with a kiss. "No, you've got to leave; I'll see you tonight before Ellie's thing."

James sighed. "All right, did you want to come to my place and then we'll go to Jacob and Allison's?"

"That sounds wonderful." Lily replied. "Now get back to training."

James smiled peevishly and pulled out some catalogs from his coat pocket (he had remembered not to apparate with his cloak into Muggle Surrey, he just hoped his cloak was still in the Leaky Cauldron).

"What's that?" she asked, taking them from him.

"Wedding dress catalogs. Don't worry, I didn't look at them. I just thought you might not find something in there, and you might be able to in those. So." James replied, grinning.

"Oh, thank you!" She exclaimed, hugging him.

"Doesn't that earn me a kiss?" James asked playfully.

Lily broke apart from him and grinned impishly.

"Nope. You'll get your kiss tonight!" She said, before walking back into the boutique.

James grinned and shook his head. "That girl is such a tease." he muttered, smiling all the same before apparating back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Lily returned and Margaret and Beverly were shaking there heads and laughing.

"That was James, wasn't it? Margaret asked.

Lily blushed and nodded. "Yes…he was on his lunch break and tracked me down."

"Sometimes he's so much like his father that it scares me." she added, shaking her head.

She smiled and held up the catalogs. "He brought me these."

Margaret and Beverly both took one and began fingering through them. Lily searched through one and gasped when she turned to the next page.

The dress was beautiful, slightly summery, but beautiful nonetheless. It had an A-line cut, was sleeveless, but came with gloves, had a princess bodice and a long train in the back. The veil was beautifully made, so that it flowed around the face but not in front of it. The fabric was embroidered with small white flowers on top of the white fabric. It was everything Lily had been searching for, a combination of elegance and beauty that she adored.

"Oh, Mum! I've found it!" She exclaimed.

Both Beverly and Margaret came up and looked over her shoulder.

"That would look gorgeous on you!" Beverly stated.

"It would, and James would love it!" Margaret added.

Lily grinned as her mother called Olivia back over.

"Can you get her measurements; we'd like to order this one." She asked, pointing the one in the magazine.

The clerk nodded. "Yes m'am. It'll be here in three to six weeks. Would you like to pay now or later?"

"We'll pay when it comes in." Mrs. Evans replied kindly.

Olivia smiled. "Good option."

"Thanks for your help." Lily stated, just happy that she had found the dress.

"It was nothing, come again!" She said before laughing. "Well, not for a wedding dress, but for bridesmaids' dresses."

Lily laughed unsurely and left happily with Margaret and Beverly.

"Well she was nice." Beverly commented.

"A little odd." Margaret added. "But I don't know too many Muggles, so I can't really judge."

"I thought she was okay." Lily stated.

"I'm starving. Would you ladies like to get some lunch? I know this great place down the corner." Beverly said.

"Charley's place?" Lily asked excitedly.

Her mother nodded, and Lily jumped with delight, Margaret looked at her oddly and she felt inclined to explain.

"It's this cute little diner, you can get the best deli sandwiches there. Mum and Dad used to take Petunia and I down there all the time on Saturdays when we were little."

Margaret nodded. "We'll just have to go there then."

* * *

That night Lily apparated into James' flat to find Sirius lounging on their sofa with Charlotte beside him.

Lily smiled. "Where's James?"

Sirius smiled his usual cunning grin and pointed back to the hall where James' room was.

"Getting ready…I swear sometimes the bloke is just like a girl."

Charlotte and Lily shook their heads and Lily went to find James.

After a knock or two, James hastily opened the door, holding his hand on top of his head.

"Lily!" he said with surprise.

Lily smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you ready?" she asked playfully.

James nodded and then winced slightly.

"Yeah, just give me a minute to finish freshening up…" He grinned again, but before he could take a step back into the room, Lily caught him by the arm.

"What's wrong with your head?" she asked.

James shrugged. "What head?"

"YOUR head, James. Honestly, let me see." she said with authority, pushing James back into his room.

Charlotte and Sirius, who had only witnessed the interaction and not the conversation, shared a look before laughing.

Unable to defend himself against a determined Lily, James removed his hand, which had been clotting a giant gash with a cloth.

Lily sighed. "How did you do that?"

"In training…we were trying some attack spells on trolls and one had a good punch in him." James smiled and winced again.

"That looks terrible!" Lily exclaimed. "And why didn't Mad-Eye fix it up for you?"

James laughed. "Have you seen the scars on his face? I think he thinks it builds character or something."

Lily shook her head. "Let me fix that. What were you doing to it?"

"Well before you graced me with your lovely presence I had been searching through a healing book, but I hadn't found anything useful yet." James replied in a sarcastic manner.

Lily gave him the look she used to let James know when she wasn't playing around. James simply grinned.

She searched the book for a minute before nodding, muttering a few words under her breath, and then closing the book to look at James.

"Sit down for a minute." she demanded.

"As you wish, my lady." James remarked lightly, holding his head.

Lily pulled out her wand and gave it a swish.

The pain ceased for the most part instantly. James looked at her gratefully and went to put his hand to his forehead.

"Don't touch it!" Lily scolded. "You're going to infect it."

"I thought you healed it." James replied with a pout.

Lily sighed. "It's cleaned up now and I got rid of the pain, but you're going to need to wear some sort of bandage."

"But I'll look like some sort of idiot walking around with a bandaged head." James remarked. "If I had a heroic story maybe…but I just got hit by a bloody troll. They have to be one of the dullest creatures on the bloody planet."

"You are too proud." Lily commented as she went to his bathroom and searched through it in an effort to find some gauze. She knew the boys had to have some, what with their encounters with Remus every full moon.

"Maybe." James said. "But you're the one that's going to have to go to the party with a fiancé with a bandaged head, walking around like a clumsy goon."

Lily smirked upon returning. "I love you now, James Potter, and you are a goon."

James grabbed her around the waist, pulled her down on to his bed with him, and began tickling her.

"Sttopp…" Lily laughed. "Let go, James!"

"No, take it back!" James teased.

Lily, caught between fits of laughter, finally managed to wrench James' arms from her, pin his arms down with hers, and keep him down by strategically placing her knee in between his legs so that it was just pressing on the bed, centimeters away from a very sensitive spot, in James' opinion.

"You've got me, you win, you win." James whispered desperately.

Lily smirked triumphantly. "We're late, and you're going to get hurt again."

"Time doesn't matter when we're together." James said warmly.

"Well that's sweet. But I highly doubt Ellie will feel the same way, as it is her last night before Hogwarts."

"Fine. You win." James stated.

"Yet again." Lily smiled.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Lily and James apparated into Jake and Allison's flat, about a half an hour late.

Charlotte and Sirius winked at James and Lily, who raised their eyebrows. Lily went to go say hello to Ellie, and Sirius greeted James.

"She's a rough one, eh, Prongs?" Sirius joked.

James rolled his eyes. "Sod off, Padfoot."

Sirius grinned and patted James on the back. "Just ribbing with you, mate. I'm going to go see how Remus is fairing…girlfriend and ex-girlfriend, deep in conversation!"

James looked across the sitting room, and Grace and Ellie were in an animated discussion, with Lily and Allison listening and laughing. Remus feigning conversation with Jake, Peter, and Charlotte, but it was obvious to two of his best mates that he was listening close to every word that was exchanged between the two girls.

James grinned with his best friend and walked over to talk to Remus.

"Ellie, I'm so jealous. You get to spend another year at Hogwarts…oh I miss it already." Lily sighed with a reminiscent smile.

Ellie scoffed and twirled a piece of her dark hair with her finger. "Jealous? I'm jealous of you guys…out on your own, Merlin, I can't wait. I'm not going to know what to do without you all this term."

"You're going to have fun, don't worry." Allison replied. "All those guys chasing after you like usual."

Ellie couldn't help but giggle, Lily and Allison laughed, and Grace just smiled politely.

"Yes, Eleanor Oakes…do you have any gentleman callers lately? I know last it was Todd or somebody…and then there was that one boy from Hufflepuff. And then there was Remus." Allison counted off.

Ellie's smile suddenly slackened a bit at the mention of her once long-term boyfriend. Grace didn't seem to notice, and just continued to smile.

"Oh that's right, you and Remus did date last year for a while, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes, for a while." Ellie replied at her replacement. "But it didn't work out."

Lily was eager to change the subject. She knew Ellie didn't care for Remus as she once did, but she was still protective of what they had.

"Have you thought of what you might want to do next year?" she asked.

Ellie turned her attention to Lily and Allison, who was already talking about careers they thought, might suit Ellie, and Grace was giving her opinion as well. Ellie laughed at some of their suggestions, one being a Hippogriff tamer, and had a good time for the rest of the evening.

Sirius and James finally got Remus to relax, soon enough the two groups merged to eat and laugh, wished their best to Ellie and promised to write, and then they were gone back into their separate lives. Some being more connected than others.

* * *

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Prongs?" Sirius grumbled. "It's Sunday, bloody Sunday, and you're waking me up and it's not even…" he glanced at his watch. "Bloody hell, Prongs. It's not even seven!"

James smiled. "I need your help. Get dressed."

Sirius glared at him for a moment. "I hate you."

"Well that's nice. I got some toast for you. Get ready so we can apparate."

Sirius grumbled for a few more minutes before throwing on some dirty clothes and meeting James, rather sourly.

"You know, it's only or strong friendship that keeps me from asking what the bloody hell your on about this morning. But Merlin, if you are disturbing me to go curtain shopping or some girly thing like that, I'll kill you."

James just grinned. "You better plan my funeral, then."

Sirius' jaw dropped.

"I'm kidding, Padfoot. Honestly." James said, handing him a paper with a article circled in red ink. "Apparate to that address."

Sirius groaned and nodded, and prepared to apparate, not before grabbing a cup of coffee.

* * *

**Thanks to my reviewers: Missing Summer, SuburbanMuse, scooter5710, ggyy, Zippy-Wings, Kaean, riduculouslyriddikulus, heather gernenz, blvd, sharp-tongued, glowing-ice, Jude-Harrison, precious421, IAMSOAP, Amantes, Luv24+Alias, chikichiki, and maraudergirl89.**

**and thanks to my lovely beta. Have a good Christmas!**


	16. The Hunt

**A/N: Alrighty guys. Hope you all had a great Christmas and are having a good Hanukkah or Kwanzaa…here's the next chapter. And a poll question, because some of you seemed disappointed that there wasn't one last time. What is the best present (for anything….birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah…yada yada) that anyone has ever given you? Mine is my unicycle I got for my 17th birthday…I had four friends chip in and buy me the unicycle, strawberry sheriff helmet with matching horn, and two pieces of pvc pipe to help my balance. I also like my harmonica I got for Christmas this year though. My beta has more of a non-materialistic favorite present….the gift her parents gave her to grow up and be who ever she wanted to be. So read, review, and answer the poll question. Have a good day!**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Hunt **

James appeared on a street lined with identical houses and lawns. He looked around for a moment and searched his cloak pocket for a piece of paper.

All of a sudden, a loud 'pop' rang through the air and he was thrown to the ground with something immensely heavy holding him down.

"Get off me, Padfoot!" James cried, as Sirius stood on top of him, his black boots crushing James' back.

Sirius looked down and jumped off immediately.

"Sorry, mate."

"Bloody hell." James moaned as he rolled over and stood up, brushing his clothes off.

"You told me to apparate to the address and that's what I did." Sirius defended.

"I didn't think we'd land in exactly the same bloody spot." James commented rubbing the back of his head. He pulled out the clipping he had been searching for before the impact and pulled out the paper.

Sirius read over his shoulder. "So what are we doing here?"

James smiled to himself. "We're here to look for a house."

Sirius shrugged. "I thought the apartment was just fine, mate. I mean, the plumbing isn't that great at times—with the amount of times the toilet's been clogged up, at least—and I know it gets a bit drafty at night, but really…"

James cut him off. "Not for us! For me and Lily."

Sirius stopped rambling at once and nodded. "Oh…yeah. Forgot about that."

He smiled at James, but James could tell it was forced.

"It's not for another five months, Padfoot. Don't look so glum." James stated, leading the way down the road in search for the house they were going to look at.

"Well how far away is this place from our flat?" Sirius eventually asked when they reached the yellow house. It was identical in style to every house on the street, and both young men got an eerie vibe from it.

"An apparation away." James replied. "Or twenty kilometers if driving."

"Is it a magical subdivision?"

"Yes."

"Then why is it so odd?" Sirius said skeptically as he looked around the neighborhood.

"Because every house looks exactly alike and even the mailboxes are the same. Or maybe it's the pastel coloring of the whole damn place." James answered sarcastically. "It's just the first place we're looking at, and the price is nice. Denise should be here any minute" he added, checking his watch.

Suddenly, a middle-aged witch apparated in front of them, she was of medium stature and had short curly brown hair. She wore horn-rimmed glasses and a shocking pink cloak.

"Hi, I'm Denise Dot, the realtor for this area. You two had an appointment?" she started in a high-pitched, bubbly tone.

James nodded. "Yes, well my fiancée and I will be married in January and we're looking for a place."

Denise turned to Sirius and looked him over with a smile. "I take it you're not the fiancée?"

"No." Sirius said, giving her a charming grin.

She beamed back at him. "Well let's take a look inside, shall we?

Half an hour later, and the boys stumbled out of the house with Denise behind them.

"Are you sure you don't want it?" she asked, flashing her eyelashes in their direction.

"Yes." James said with finality.

James shoved the next slip of paper into Sirius' hand and disapparated.

Sirius read the next address, gave a wave to the woman and followed James.

"What the bloody hell." James commented as soon as his best friend appeared.

"That woman was off her rocker." Sirius added. "I can't believe she tried to kiss me!"

James shook his head. "At least she didn't pinch _your_ arse."

Sirius, who would have usually laughed, but still in a state of horror from the shock of the violent red lips hovering over his, just nodded.

"Well what do we have here?" He asked, looking at the white cottage standing before them.

James smiled. "This is the house I was looking forward to looking at."

"It looks lonely." Sirius stated.

James looked around and found that Sirius was right. There were no houses in direct sight, except for far off there was a small red dot that he could assume was a house.

"It's only a twenty minute drive to the city, though. And Lily and I can have some privacy. And look, there's a big backyard with a fence and a garden." James exclaimed happily.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his friend and checked his watch. It was almost nine thirty. "Prongs, is there another realtor we're supposed to meet or can we just go in?"

"There's a realtor. A man though." James replied easily. "He should be here soon."

Just as the words came from James' lips, a man popped before them. He was a little shorter than Sirius and James, wore an old brown cloak that looked oddly shaped and bulgy in certain areas. He was fairly young—could only be a few years older than them—and he was smoking a cigar.

"Hullo." The man greeted them and shook each of their hands. "The name's Mundungus Fletcher. You can call me Dung."

"James Potter and Sirius Black." James stated, smiling. "Are you going to give us the tour?"

He gave them a smile before giving his cigar a hard chew and spitting. "Actually, I've got some business to attend to down in Yorkshire. A great bargain, if you know what I mean. I was just going to unlock the place for you boys. You look trustworthy."

James nodded. "All right then. We'll be careful. Will you be back soon?"

"Yeah. I'll be back 'bout half in hour if all goes well and we can talk." he said before casting a spell towards the house and disapparating.

Sirius laughed as he left.

"Bloke must be off his rocker. Leaving us to look at this house by ourselves. We could steal everything if we'd like."

"I'm sure he knows exactly what's in there, and it looks like he might have stolen from it already." James added smiling. "At least we can tour the house in peace."

They ventured in cautiously and began to look around. James fell in love with the hard wood floors and the spacious downstairs, there was a big kitchen and sitting area. He smiled to himself as they went upstairs. Lily was going to love this. He didn't care how much it cost, he was going to buy it for her.

Forty-five minutes later, when Mundungus returned, James was on his second tour. Sirius followed him, although he was bored and just talked with him. They were able to catch up, as they hadn't had a real conversation in awhile.

"What do you think?" Dung asked, grinning at them as they came down the stairs.

"I love it." James said.

"So do I have an offer?" Dung asked hopefully.

James put on a serious face and said in a very business-like manner, "How much?"

"Oh, I'd say twenty-thousand galleons would be a bargain."

James thought this over. "I'll give you fifteen and pay you tomorrow, in full."

"Deal. I'll get the papers for you and you can return them to me then."

He reached into is old cloak pocket and held out a stack of parchment to James, who took them and grinned.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow. Do you want to meet here or your office?" James asked.

Mundungus puffed his cigar. "We can meet here. What time is good for you?"

"Six-thirty."

"I'll see you then. Have a good night." Mundungus answered before apparating.

"Well, little Jamie-poo is buying himself a house." Sirius teased. "All of those years of playing house with Charlotte will finally pay off."

"Sod off, Padfoot," James replied, although he was grinning. "Let's go, we can get some lunch. Let's see if Wormtail or Moony will meet up with us."

"That'd be good. I haven't seen Wormtail in a while. I mean, besides last night. He's never around."

"Well, he's working and you're training, and I'm sure he has to spend time with his family. You know how his mother is, she thinks he's the ray of sunshine on a cloudy day."

Sirius sniggered as they apparated together, away from James' future home.

* * *

Later that evening, James knocked on Lily's apartment door, a dozen red roses in his hand.

Charlotte answered the door in a classy black dress, looking elegant as usual.

"Oh, I thought you were Sirius. Lily didn't mention you were coming over."

"She didn't know." James replied, smiling. "I know I'm not Sirius, but could I come in?"

Charlotte grinned and pretended to shut the door, laughed at James' expression, and let him in.

"She's not prepared at all. I think she's back in her room going over papers or something." Charlotte added.

Another knock and Charlotte's giggling let James know that Sirius was here. He smiled and went to find Lily.

He knocked on her door, but he could hear her music playing and knew she wasn't going to come to the door.

He entered cautiously, tip-toeing across Lily's room to where she sat, furiously writing and going through files.

Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" was playing loudly. James smiled and cupped her eyes with his hands.

Lily squealed and James held in his laugh.

"Guess who?" he whispered.

"Vernon Dursley." she guessed playfully.

"How did you know? Petunia is out back, but I suppose we could snog real quickly. She isn't as good at kissing as you are." James replied, releasing his hands as she turned around to face him.

"James Potter! What a surprise! I should have known it was you. Vernon's cologne is much stronger and smells like rotting begonias."

James kissed her and smiled.

"You look snazzy." she murmured.

James did look handsome. He had black dress pants on, a deep blue shirt on, and a black tie.

"You don't look that bad yourself." James smiled.

Lily stood up. "I look a mess, James. I didn't know you were coming over…if I did I would have changed out of my pajamas long ago."

"But you look beautiful." James replied, handing her the roses. "What are you working so hard on?"

"Those are gorgeous, James!" she smiled as she smelled them. "I was writing a report to Dumbledore about the Carrow and MacNair cases. Horrible stuff, I've been researching them all day."

"Well I'd say it's about time you got out. Could I take you to dinner?" James suggested.

"I haven't even showered yet." Lily replied uneasily.

"I'll wait. Our reservations aren't until seven-thirty." James said calmly, playing with a strand of her hair.

"All right, then. Make yourself comfortable…" she said as she went to get in the shower.

Half an hour later, Lily appeared in the sitting room, where James had moved once he realized Lily needed her room to change, ready to go.

She was dressed in a black dress that ended just before her knee with a plunging neckline, elegant black heels, and a silver necklace.

James sucked in his breath. She looked so sexy.

"You look great." he finally said. "Ready to go?"

Lily smiled. "Yes, just let me grab my purse. I take it we're going somewhere Muggle?"

"Correct." James replied as he pulled out his car keys. "I visited my Mum and Dad this afternoon and they're letting me borrow the Mercedes."

"Well that's nice of them." Lily replied, grinning. "We could have just taken my car though."

"Ah yes, but I wanted to drive." James commented smiling at her. "Next time I'll let you."

Lily returned with a black purse and put her roses into some water. She took James' hand and whispered, "Only if you think you can handle my speed."

James swallowed and grinned back at her. "Oh, I know I can."

* * *

Once they were in the car and on the highway for twenty minutes, Lily couldn't help but question.

"Where are we going, James?" she asked.

"Somewhere nice." he answered simply.

Lily nodded and looked out the window to see nothing but fields and a few scattered houses. "In the middle of nowhere?"

"Maybe."

Lily folded her arms. "James Potter, what are you up to?"

"Lily Evans, I have no clue what you are on about. I am simply taking a nice scenic route to our restaurant."

"Didn't you say our reservations were for seven-thirty? It's seven-twenty now." Lily replied.

Suddenly, James turned sharply and parked the car.

Lily looked up and suddenly all time was forgotten.

"This house is beautiful, James. But why are we here?"

"Well, Sirius and I decided to look at some houses today, and I was wondering if you'd like to check this one out. I think you'll like it, and it's a good price." James rambled nervously. He sure hoped Lily adored the cottage as much as he did.

"Can we check it out, do you have a key?" Lily inquired excitedly.

James grinned. "Let's check it out."

They approached the door hand-in-hand and James fumbled through his pants pocket.

He pulled out what appeared to be a pocket-knife.

"Don't you have a key?" Lily questioned.

"Well, no. But we'll be fine." James tried, hoping Lily wasn't going to stop him.

"Isn't this breaking and entering?" she asked as he pulled out the blade and started for the door. "And how is that going to work?"

"Seeing as it's practically ours, I don't call it breaking and entering. And this knife is one Sirius gave to me. It can pick any lock."

"Just don't get us arrested, Potter." Lily replied, giving in to the temptation of looking in the house. "Or I'll have to go Head Girl on you."

James grinned as he opened the door and let Lily inside. He pulled out his wand and emitted light into the dark foyer.

"This is beautiful!" Lily exclaimed as she walked in.

The foyer, once lit, showed three passage ways into the house. Lily took the one to her immediate right and James followed her.

"The kitchen is huge!" she stated with amazement.

It was of considerable size, especially when compared to her flat's kitchen. There was sufficient counter top space and a place to put bar stools, enough space for a table and four chairs, and a place for an oven.

Lily inspected it for a few moments before venturing to the room, which she assumed was the dining room. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, and there was a big window that looked out on the backyard and garden.

"Do you like it so far?" James asked as he came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist.

"Yes, I love it." she said, as she looked up at him. "Show me the other rooms."

James smiled and they made their way back to the foyer and into another passage where they found the sitting room and stairwell.

"It's got two bedrooms and two and a half baths." James commented as she looked around. "The half one is downstairs, and there's one in the master bedroom and in the corridor upstairs."

"So we have a bedroom for ourselves and a guest one." Lily smiled. "That's perfect…for now." she added as she hugged James.

James grinned. "Well hold on, there's room for children." he said in complete seriousness. He walked over to the stair well and to the cupboard on the side. He opened the door.

"We can put our first child here. There's plenty of room!" he said. Lily followed him with her hands on her hips.

"We are not putting _any_ child of ours in a _cupboard_, James."

James looked at her and then walked inside. "Why not? There's plenty of room in here. We can put a bed here…"

Lily went in after him. "James, this isn't hygienic for any kid. They'd have the authorities on us in a second."

James laughed. "I'm only kidding, lovely Lily, Lily love." He wiggled his nose and eyebrows at her and shut the door.

Lily kept her hands on her hips. "You were just trying to get me in a broom closet with you, Potter!"

"Maybe." He smirked, pulling her close. "It'll bring us back to Hogwarts days."

"We were never in a broom closet!" Lily muttered indigently.

"Oh yes, you were never one for broom closets…" James chuckled as he kissed her.

"It would have looked outrageous if we were caught!" Lily said exasperatedly when James broke apart from her. "The Head Boy and Girl, caught in lip-lock in the third floor broom closet by Mrs. Norris. And you know how rumors spread there."

James smiled again and kissed her, holding her close to him. "I love you."

"I love you." she replied in a whisper. "Don't we have dinner reservations?" she added distractedly as she pulled at James' black tie.

"Yes, for eight-thirty." James answered as he went in for another kiss.

She kissed him back and then stopped. "Well show me the rest of the house, then."

"One more kiss." James murmured.

They appeared from the cupboard under the stairs minutes later before exploring the rest of the house and heading to dinner.

* * *

**Thanks to my reviewers!**

**James's Girl Forever, Scooter5710, melodicmoonstar89, blvd, Missing Summer, SuburbanMuse, IAMSOAP, heather gernenz, sharp-tongued, White Camellia, Kaean, Zippy-Wings, chikichiki, Jude Harrison, luv24+Alias, precious421, maraudergirl89, glowing-ice, and riduculouslyriddikulus. THANKS!**

**And of course, thank you to my wonderful beta.**


	17. The Perplexed Boy and the Troubled Werew

**A/N: Well here we are…another chapter! Yay! Sounds like everyone has received some pretty cool gifts…from violins to ipods. I want an ipod…or one of those Phillips things, preferably before college, but we'll see how that goes. This poll question…What was your childhood ambition? Mine was to be an artist or a scuba diver, and to marry my older brother's best friend Shawn. These disappeared when I realized I wasn't that great at art, when we moved from Pennsylvania, and I just didn't want to scuba dive anymore. Hm. My beta's IS to marry a rockstar. Which would be totally awesome. I'd like to marry a rockstar. But I could be a roadie too. Haha. Anyways, read, review!**

**Chapter Seventeen: The Perplexed Boy and the Troubled Werewolf**

"Come in." came Professor Dumbledore's friendly voice.

James Potter turned the knob and entered his former Headmaster's familiar office.

Dumbledore smiled at his former Head Boy.

"Hello, James. Please, take a seat."

James smiled and obliged.

"Good evening, Professor." James greeted. "How are you doing?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled tiredly. "I'm all right, James. This war is getting more severe by the day, however. Voldemort is gaining more supporters by the hour. At least, that's how it appears. One can't always trust appearances, luckily."

James nodded soberly. "Yes. I wanted to actually talk to you about my last assignment."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Ah. Having trouble, I imagine?"

"Not so much. I wanted to show you what I have…so far. I researched it and wrote a report on my findings. There are only three known inferi from what I found in the Ministry records. Voldemort, of course, may have made more than they know of…I wouldn't be surprised. Of the three, the Ministry has one isolated to observe. The other one they terminated and the last one is still lurking out somewhere."

Dumbledore listened patiently. "That's good development, more than I expected. Were you able to find out how they terminated the one unlucky…or should we say, _lucky_ individual?"

James sighed. "From the reports, all I could tell was they tired it out with a few stunning spells and then continued to beat it to death. There was no particular spell they used. I've taken the liberty to try and collaborate a few spells to form one."

"Good, James." the old Headmaster replied with a kind smile. "I knew you could do it. But there's a problem, I take it?"

James laughed softly. "Well, yes. See, I've developed two spells, but there's no way to test them. The Ministry doesn't want me to kill theirs."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I see. I will try and work out a way to let you test them. The best I can think is a boggart, but I suppose your worst fear isn't an Inferi? I recall Professor Latham saying something entirely different about your boggart." There was a small twinkle in his eye, and James nodded.

"And sir, inferis are too unknown for anyone to have their deepest fear be having to face one."

"Ah, true. Sometimes James, we just have to trust our product. I will tell certain people about your situation and the spells you have come up with. I'll overview them, and we'll see. I'm sure your work is useful and effective, if not an immediate spell to defeat an inferi."

James smiled. "Well, if that's all sir, I better get going, Sirius and Lily wanted to have dinner, I might be a little late."

"Of course, of course. Personal lives are still vital in times like these, James. It was nice meeting with you…and if you don't mind me asking, how are the wedding plans going?"

James beamed, so Professor Dumbledore had heard the news.

"We've just started them, Headmaster. Don't worry, you'll get an invitation."

"I was hoping so." Dumbledore replied. "Have a good evening, and send Mr. Lupin in if he's out there already."

James gave a puzzled expression but nodded, gathered his things and went down the stairs. On the way down, he bumped into Remus.

"Moony!" James exclaimed "Meeting with Dumbledore?"

Remus smiled nervously. "Yes, he called me in for something. How are you?"

"Good, I'm about to meet Sirius and Lily for dinner, if you'd like to join us, we're just at my flat. Grace is welcome too."

Remus nodded. "I'll see how this goes. I might stop by for a drink later."

"All right, don't stress, Moony. It's just Dumbledore."

"I'll try not to." Remus said as he went on his way and James on his.

* * *

James apparated to his flat to find Sirius laughing and Lily in the red face. He approached them; it was bound to be entertaining.

Lily saw him and smiled. "Hello, James. How was the meeting with Dumbledore?" She said this all very quick and excited.

"It went well." He looked at Sirius, who was still laughing.

"What is so funny, Padfoot, and why does it have Lily all frazzled?" He asked, grinning at his best friend.

"While we were waiting for you…Lily and I, being the chums we are, were sitting here talking about work and stuff, you know, like friends do. And it was all quiet, and then Lily goes and steps on a little frog." Sirius grinned. "But she won't go ahead and admit it already."

"Because it was my shoe, Sirius! My shoe! If I have to explain that to you one more time…" Lily exclaimed with exasperation.

James sniggered. "Oh come on Lily, everyone does it. No need to be embarrassed about a little wind-breaking!" He teased.

Lily stared at James in disbelief. "I am not embarrassed because there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It was my shoe!"

"If you say so." James smiled taking her hand. "Let's go to the kitchen…I think dinner is waiting for us. The house-elves were supposed to send something."

"We'll have Lily stay off the beans though." Sirius added, laughing. James laughed and Lily let go of his hand.

"You boys are so immature, it was my shoe! Look!" She said, stepping out of her heel about an inch and then pressing back down.

The boys just erupted in to laughter again at the sound and Lily sighed and went to serve the food.

* * *

Two hours later, Sirius, James, and Lily were sitting in the living room, talking and laughing when a knock came to the door.

"I'll get it." Sirius offered pleasantly, hopping up from the floor he was laying on and running for the door.

The door swung open and he found Remus standing before him, his hands in his robe pockets and smiling soberly.

"Hey." he greeted.

"Moony! Come on in, mate!" Sirius returned, letting Remus enter before shutting the door. "We're all in the living room. Care for a drink?"

"Yeah." Remus said softly. "A bit of firewhisky, if you don't mind."

"Drinking hard. Now that I can admire." Sirius replied, ushering Remus to where James and Lily were and hurrying to the kitchen.

James waved slightly, grinning at him.

"Hello, Remus." Lily said.

Remus sighed and took a seat before putting his head in his hands.

"I don't know what to do." he said finally, after moments passed with Lily and James looking alternately at each other and Remus.

Sirius reentered at this exact moment. "Don't know what to do about what, exactly? Girl problems, eh? Grace trying to tame your wolfish ways, Moony?"

"No." Remus said coolly as he sat up right, his face was tired and painted with worry, and a full moon had already passed for the month.

"What is it, Remus?" Lily asked kindly.

He sighed again. "I met with Dumbledore today."

His three friends nodded to show their interest.

"And he was talking about my condition, you know, and he started explaining some things about werewolves. They're dark creatures, as everyone knows, and most all witches and wizards are frightened of them. They can do horrible damage to anyone without killing. They have the power to turn a perfectly good wizard into a dark being."

"But you're different, Moony!" James exclaimed with fervor. "You're a great friend and guy, and you would never join…"

"I know." Remus cut him off, not angry but almost impatient. "I know…but see most of them are, and Dumbledore has asked me if, when the time comes, which it inevitably will, to join the werewolves, as a spy for the Order."

There was silence for a moment before Remus began speaking again, sensing that no one knew what to say.

"Dumbledore thinks a few might try and recruit me, and when the time comes, he wants me to say yes, but only if I'm comfortable. And I don't know if I am. Werewolves are deadly creatures and most aren't suitable for company once so ever. There's Fenrir Greyback…he's said to be the leader."

James and Sirius both shuddered at the name. They had heard about Fenrir Greyback, from Auror training and Remus. He was the werewolf that had bitten Remus in revenge towards Remus' father.

Lily looked at James.

"Who's he?" she asked shyly, although she had been a part of the wizarding community for over seven years now, there were hundreds of things still foreign to her.

"He's one of the deadliest and most vicious werewolves out there. He enjoys killing, biting, and feasting on humans for any reason. He has no consciousness and feels no guilt. He bit Remus." James answered her in a low tone due to the issue's sensitivity.

Lily cupped her mouth with her hand. "Oh dear!" she gasped, sending a sympathetic look towards Remus, who shrugged. She got up and walked towards him; she bent down and hugged him from where he sat.

He couldn't bear to look at her, and hung his head low.

"I don't know what to do when they come. I don't want to be in their society." he said quietly. "And that's a cowardly thing. I am one of them, I shouldn't mind." he quipped almost spitefully.

Sirius sighed. "It is at the good of the Order, though. It wouldn't be in vain."

"I know." Remus answered immediately. "I know, I'll probably end up going with them. For a little while, at least. I'll probably be able to sneak off for periods of time. Dumbledore said he'd help me in every way possible. It's just so hard to think about. I'll have to end it with Grace; she won't deserve to have me gone unexpectedly. Because I can't tell her. No one must know. You all really shouldn't, but I just had to talk about it, and I trust you all."

Lily let go of him. "We won't tell a soul if you leave, Remus. But do you really think you'll have to break up with Grace? Surely you won't be gone very long!"

"Not at first, I don't think. But if this war gets worse, which I find in all likelihood quite possible, then I'll end up leaving for longer and longer periods of time. It won't be right to her. I shouldn't have gotten involved with her in the first place." he finished, sullenly.

"Don't say that, Moony." James started. "You deserve Grace and she deserves you. Don't get down on yourself. This day may never come, but if it does, don't just disappear until you have to. Just don't become a stranger, Moony. Remember that we'll always be here for you. Always."

Remus nodded. "I know. I love you all."

"We love you too, mate." Sirius said strongly. "Now come on, cheer up. We were just having fun talking about Lily's sister and brother in-law. Surely you've heard of them?"

"A bit. A heartless sister and an oaf of an in-law, right?" he said, smiling slightly.

"Yes!" James said happily, trying to levitate the mood. "Oh, you should meet them sometime, Moony. They'll make you laugh for a while."

And Remus smiled as the conversation dove back into a silly mood, talking of what Petunia and Vernon's household was like, exaggerated to the extent that they couldn't keep still from laughter. Remus even joined in occasionally, although his spirit was never quite lifted.

* * *

Later that night, as James dropped Lily off at her flat, she couldn't help but think of Remus.

"Do you think he'll be okay, James?" Lily asked distractedly as she took of her coat.

James sighed as he walked around to the kitchen for a drink of water.

"I think he will be. I'm not sure. I feel so bad for him, but Remus is wise. He'll do what he knows his best." James said as Lily approached him as he searched the cupboard for a glass. She reached to the top and handed him one. He smiled thankfully.

"What is that, exactly?" Lily couldn't help but question.

James grinned. "Trouble is, only Remus knows. We can only support him in whatever he does."

"I guess you're right." Lily said finally as she leaned on the counter, folding her arms and checking the time. "It's late, James, don't you have training early?"

"Yes, I do. But tomorrow should be easy…at least nothing physical. We are going over some advanced defense spells." he replied, dripping the water down his chin in the process.

She handed him a dishcloth. "Oh, all right. I take it your meeting with Dumbledore really did go well?"

James nodded. "Well, he can't help me too much with getting something to test my spells out on, he said I have to just trust in myself."

Lily laughed. "James Potter, not trusting in himself. Now that's something."

"I have faith in my work, thank you very much." James stated, playfully affronted.

"I see that." Lily quipped with mock sincerity. "Now Potter, I really must say you should get back. It's past twelve."

James put his glass down. "Find, fine. I'll go, I see I'm not wanted here."

He went to leave, but Lily pulled him in a hug and gave him a quick kiss before sending him off.

"Don't you dare disturb the Apples!" Lily called out quietly in a warning.

James grinned and waved at her. "Good night."

* * *

**A/N: Okay…I hope you enjoyed the chapter…don't forget to review. I thought I should mention that James and Lily's house is not Godric's Hollow, that Mundungus may or may not be up to something, and that Sirius does not know him. **

**Torch Phoenix: Not knowing the difference between charms, spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses is nothing to blush about! Heck…my beta and I had to think awhile before knowing how to answer. Charms are used on things, where spells are used on people…no exclusively, but that's usually how it works out. They aren't typically evil things, either. Hexes and Jinxes are usually pretty mild—compared to a curse, and are something you could just fool around with to annoy your friends or enemies with…Ginny's famous bat bogey hex, for example. Curses, like the unforgivables, are more serious and you'd usually only use them on your lethal enemies. **

**That's all I have on the subject…if anyone would like to add something, feel free to.**

**Also, thanks to my reviewers:**

**dancergrl19, Hermione-lilypotter1234, Torch Phoenix, SoSirius'sgurl3245, IAMSOAP, Jude Harrison, White Camellia, Scooter5710, Heather Gernenz, James'sGirlForever, blvd, riduclouslyriddikulus, dcsprincess, kaean, MissingSummer, sharp-tongued, chikichiki, Zippy-Wings, glowing-ice, maraudergirl189, precious421, Luv24+Alias, and MissMaruader5! Sorry if I misspelled any of your names, but my fingers are rather clumsy right now. **

**And of course…thanks to my beta! By the way, did you see the SNL skit on Bill O'Reilly? They made fun of him and it was hysterical…but the funnier part was that a few days later the clip was on CNN and they were pissed off at SNL and the actor that played him. Oh, that was great. Those people have no appreciation of humor, that's for sure.**


	18. Watches

**A/N: Hey everyone. My apologies on such a long delay…but I've got good reasons, I promise. First, I had most of this chapter written days after posting the last one…and then my computer crashed…(it's still in the shop, if that tells you anything about how badly it's messed up) and of course, I didn't save anything on back up. Even after all the lectures my English teacher gave me…frankly, I think I didn't do it to spite her…shows you where that got me. So now I'm working on my mom's lap top with the jump drive she got me…and waiting to either get a new lap top or my old computer back. Ok so there's that. And then I wrote this chapter from memory—and then, the usual process of getting it beta-ed, so I had it in my email this week…and what happened the day I was planning to post? I become violently sick. Half my swim team does. We all got a nice dose of food poisoning (apparently…seeing as I had to run out of my ap euro class and hurl in front of my ap psych teacher's room. Lovely, I know…the bathroom is really too far away.) So today…I am feeling better and ready to post. So sorry for the delay and the long author's note…one more thing. Last poll question…it appears you all had some imaginative first ambitions…and as for this post's poll… "Do you honestly care about groundhog's day?…Does Valentine's day make your heart go pitter patter?" Anyways. You know the drill.**

**Chapter Eighteen: Watches**

James paced around the sitting room of his London flat. He was just in his red flannel pajama pants, his arms folded behind his back as he treaded the carpet under his bare feet.

He sighed and looked out the window and then started to hum.

On the floor a crumpled piece of parchment lay, hardly forgotten.

It was a letter—a letter addressed to James.

_Dear James,_

_Please enclose your watch that you wear regularly and send it with this owl._

_It will be returned to you on Thursday morning._

_Yours truly, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

James had replied immediately, taking off the gold watch Lily had given him for his birthday and giving it to the barn owl that had delivered the letter to him.

Sirius had gotten a similar letter; he did not wear a watch, however, and had to borrow one of James' old ones. He had then ranted all of what James had been thinking when he had taken off his watch.

"What the hell is Dumbledore up to? Why does he want a watch? What kind of bloke regularly wears a watch, anyways?" At Sirius' last comment James had merely shook his head and smiled.

Lily had also received the letter. She, however, didn't think too much about it, she simply told James it was probably something with the Order. This only peaked his boyish curiosity.

He didn't know what Dumbledore had up his sleeve—explaining his anxiousness at getting his watch back, preferably before he had to leave for training.

At last a familiar tapping came to the windowpane of his sitting room. He rushed towards the window, opened it and let the two brown owls inside. One, presumably carrying Sirius' package flew around the corner to Sirius' room and began tapping obnoxiously on his closed oak door.

James practically wrenched the package from the bird's talons, causing the poor creature to squawk. He muttered a quick apology as he tore the paper hiding his watch, not noticing the letter that fell from the bird's beak and onto the floor.

Once his watch was revealed James began inspecting it.

He let out a loud sigh. It looked exactly the same. He couldn't find one bloody difference between the way it was now and what it had been before he gave it to the delivery owl.

The watch ticked closer to six and James groaned. He had to go get a shower and get ready for training that day. Leaving the time piece on the couch, he went to grab a towel.

Just as he made his way to the bathroom, Sirius came bounding out of his room, swearing and flailing his arms manically at the owl, which had started to make quite the hole in Sirius' bedroom door.

"Damn bloody beast!" he swore as the bird frantically dropped the package and flew back out the window.

"Bloody early." Sirius continued to grumble, collecting the parcel and retreating back to his room.

James chuckled and continued on his way, temporarily forgetting his disappointment in the vague watch.

* * *

"You've been working quite well these past few months, Lily." Madam Bones announced as she walked into Lily's cubicle.

Lily looked up from the parchment she was currently scrawling furiously over.

"Thank-you, I'm glad you're pleased with my performance." She replied as causally as one could in front of their very intimidating boss.

"I was just looking over some of the cases you've been covering and writing reports for." Madam Bones vaguely explained. "If you keep up the work, you can expect a promotion shortly."

Lily smiled. "Well you can expect me to keep up with the work, then."

Madam Bones nodded. "I'm going to go get some lunch, make sure you take your break soon."

At this farewell, her eyes caught a glimpse of a picture by Lily's desk. It was one of Lily and James on her couch, both of them smiling up at her.

"Who is that?" she asked in a casual manner.

Lily looked to where her boss' gaze led. The photo.

"Oh, that's my fiancé, James Potter." She answered warmly, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Madam Bones gave a slight smile. "I see. Well, I'll be going."

Before Lily could properly reply, Madam Bones had disappeared.

She looked back down at her parchment and picked up her quill, preparing to continue writing, when someone coughed.

Lily looked up, to see James grinning handsomely down at her.

She ginned. "Hello, James, what a pleasant surprise!"

"Are you ready for some lunch?" He asked bending down to where she was sitting and grazing his lips across her cheek, looking into her green eyes and then producing a boquet of wildflowers.

"Those are so pretty!" Lily commented, grinning. "If only I had a vase…"

James took the half-full coffee mug on Lily's desk and moved his hand, concentrating on the incantation.

The mug turned into a slender crystal vase half-full with water in front of Lily's amused eyes.

"Ready for lunch, darling?" he asked again.

Lily put the flowers in her new vase and turned to James.

"Give me a moment, I've got to put this away…it being strictly confidential and all. You can go sit and get a cup of coffee…I'll only be a minute." She pointed down the aisle to a coffee station, complete with a small table, a self-brewing pot, several mugs, and two comfy chairs.

"All right, I'll wait." James said, she smiled appreciatively at him and he left her cubicle.

James walked down the corridor and took a seat on one of the vacant chairs. His gaze lingered around the array of cubicles and busy witches and wizards working.

He looked up after a moment to see that he had been joined by a young man with neat dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Hello." The young man greeted. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before."

James was about to introduce himself when the man continued. "I know just about everyone, see."

James grinned to himself and nodded, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer. This man gave off an arrogant air that stunk of stupidity.

His hazel eyes caught sight of Lily walking from her cubicle to the office across the corridor from hers to have a word with its occupant and bend over to throw a piece of parchment away.

James heard his companion sigh and take in a breath as if he was going to start talking again. James inwardly groaned.

"She's one hot piece of arse, isn't she?" he whispered.

James' blood boiled and his fists clenched…no one talked about _his _fiancée like that. He thought for a moment as his cheeks began turning a slight shade of red. She wouldn't approve of him starting a brawl in her place of work, and this man sounded like the kind of git that could talk until he got himself in trouble.

James decided to play along.

"Oh, yes, she is a beauty." He said, sighing for affect.

"I am going to get her soon. She's not going to no what hit her…" the young man continued brutishly.

James looked at him. "Surely she has a boyfriend, I mean, she's absolutely stunning."

His unwanted partner smirked and took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, but no bird can resist my brilliant charm and dazzling good looks for long."

James had to control himself from snorting with laughter…this boy was absolutely idiotic.

As the two sat in a moment of awkward silence, Lily sent a grin their way and started walking towards them.

James observed that the man beside him primped his hair slightly, put a hand casually into his robe pocket and took a sip of his coffee.

"Hello." Lily greeted.

"Hey, Lily." The man smiled. "Do you need any help with any of your cases? I know it can be a little overwhelming and all, being the junior intern."

Lily grinned politely, but James could tell she was slightly irritated. "Oh, I'll manage just fine, Owen. I always do."

Owen looked put out for a brief moment before regaining his confident air.

"I see you've met my fiancé, James." Lily introduced James as he stood up beside her

The color immediately drained from Owen's cheeks and he appeared quite shell-shocked.

"Oh yes, and what a pleasure it's been." James grinned cheekily at him. "Ready, darling?"

Lily nodded and studied Owen for a second. "Are you all right?"

Owen shrugged. "Yes. Fine. I've got to go get back to work…important cases to do reports on and Madam Bones requested my assistance."

"Okay then, see you later today." Lily replied, not giving a second glance to his retreating back and focusing her attention on James. "What did you do to him?"

James gave a devilish smirk and put his arm around Lily's shoulders and ushered her out of the building. "I'll tell you over lunch…speaking of which, where would you like to go?"

Lily thought for a moment. She usually didn't go out very often…she enjoyed bringing her own lunch and eating with her coworkers in the lounge, it reminded her of the days her mother would pack her lunch for her and Petunia to take to primary school…nevertheless, she enjoyed the occasionally lunch outing with James—usually they were planned, but she enjoyed his little surprises.

"What about that place just around the corner there? It's a little Italian restaurant; Emma—a girl from the office—says it's good. I think it may be Muggle though, and we can't exactly go in there dressed like this…how about we just apparate to The Three Broomsticks?"

James liked the way Lily thought.

He grinned pleasantly and nodded. "The Three Broomsticks it is. Madam Rosmerta hasn't seen us for awhile, reckon we could get a few free sandwiches?"

Lily playfully hit him. "We are not going to keep bumming ham sandwiches from the woman…I swear, every time we go in there she gives us free sandwiches. What did you boys do to her that made her like you all so much?"

"You don't want to know, love." James smirked before pulling out his wand. "Ladies first, of course."

Lily smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "See you soon!"

Moments later, they were both in front of The Three Broomsticks. James smiled and held the door open for his red-headed date.

They took their seats side by side at a booth. Madam Rosmerta was there in seconds to ask for their drink orders.

"Two butterbeers, please." James asked, winking at the friendly bartender.

"James, you are too much." She beamed. "I'll bring those right out, it's nice seeing you two."

"Ham sandwiches, dear?" James questioned as Lily looked over the menu. "Or are you actually going to be a little adventurous?"

"I'm adventurous!" Lily defended looking at James' teasing hazel eyes. "And you get the same thing each time too…"

"I suppose you're right. So ham sandwiches?"

Lily shook her head. "I think I'm going to go with a nice garden salad…I need to be watching my figure…I don't want to be a huge cow in that wedding dress."

James pouted. "Eating a ham sandwich will not make you a cow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Just because you and Sirius can eat fifty roast hams each and not gain an ounce does not mean all of us have that wonderful metabolism you two possess."

He let out a small sigh. "Fine, but even if you did turn into a huge fat cow I would still love you…I'd even pay for your dress alterations."

Lily shook her head and chuckled lightly. "Sod off, Potter."

Madam Rosmerta had returned with their butterbeers by this time and looked at the two of them.

"Is Miss Evans telling you off again James?"

"She does tend to do that." James replied, grinning.

Lily kicked him from under the table and James let out an exaggerated "OW!"

"And she's abusive, too. Honestly, I don't know why I stay with her. I've got to wear make-up just so my parents and friends don't see the bruises…"

Lily shook her head and Madam Rosmerta laughed.

"I'll have a garden salad with Italian dressing, please. No tomatoes or onions. James will have a ham sandwich—"

"No, no." James cut in. "If Lily dearest is being adventurous I'm going to be too. I'll have the roast beef sandwich with mustard and onions and chips on the side."

Madam Rosmerta smiled and left to prepare their order.

"So what was it that you did to Owen, James?" Lily asked finally, studying his handsome features as he turned towards her.

"Well, I didn't really do anything…" he started.

"Sure." Lily replied as she took a sip of her butterbeer. "Because you never start _anything_."

"No really, we were sitting there…." James plunged into his story, leaving out Owen's brasher comments and replacing them with less crude terms.

By the end of his short tale, Lily was speechless.

Well not exactly. Few things could make the fiery red-head at loss for words.

"That little berk!" she exclaimed. "What a pervert! And I have to work with him? Well not for much longer if Madam Bones gives me that promotion she hinted at—but really, what an idiot, he just goes and talks about that sort of stuff in front of any random guy? What if it had been my dad sitting there? Who knows what would have happened…" she ranted.

James gave her a comforting look and stroked her hand. "I think he's learned his lesson, Lily. And I could always kick his arse, I mean, I had to restrain myself from doing so today…didn't want to start a ruckus in your office or anything…"

"You can not fight him, James." Lily insisted seriously. "Honestly, we're adults now; they don't take brawls lightly anymore."

"Fine, I won't fight him, but maybe a threatening glare when we return?" He offered, grinning idiotically.

Lily sighed as their food appeared and she began to eat, as she picked up her fork, James noticed her wrist.

"You have your watch back?" He asked as the gold caught his eyes like a snitch waiting to be caught.

Lily looked down and swallowed before answering. "Yes, I got mine back this morning, didn't you?"

James nodded and went to show her his watch, only to find his arm bare. _Damn_, James thought. I must have left it in the sitting room this morning. "Yeah…but there was nothing different about mine…I don't understand Dumbledore sometimes."

She raised her eyebrow. "Didn't you read his note?"

"What note?" James asked curiously.

"The note the owl was carrying with the package." Lily replied easily.

"No—wait. There was a bit of a ruckus this morning with the owls…and Sirius…it must have dropped without me seeing it…" James said as he thought.

"Well it said this is a device for the Order." Lily explained patiently. "That it'll burn slightly when there's an attack that requires our assistance…the face of the watch will tell the location and it will flash if it's a serious emergency."

James nodded, smiling to himself. "That makes sense…and the watches all look the same until we're needed…right? Dumbledore is such a brilliant man."

Lily laughed at James and continued eating. He shook his head at her and began to eat his roast beef sandwich.

Just as Lily reached to take another sip of her butterbeer she suddenly felt a warm sensation tingle down her wrist.

* * *

**Thanks to my reviewers…IAMSOAP, elise bentwin, official cheeky devil, scooter5710, Kaean, glowing-cie, riduculouslyriddikulus, dancergrl19, chikus, KTSweep, Zippy-Wings, luv24+Alias, Maruadergirl89, Heather gernenz, and chikichiki!**

**Oh, and dancergrl19…Godric's Hollow is still a ways in the future. The house they have now is not Godric's Hollow.**

**And of course…applause to my lovely beta for editing the chapter!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Alright guys, here's the next chapter. My first action-chapter, so be nice when reviewing…as for last chapter's poll…it seems most people found Valentine's Day to be a little depressing given recent breakups and such…but I hope you all managed to enjoy yourselves…I know I did. I got the complete works of Jane Austen with pictures and stuff. Yeah, I'm a dork. And as for goundhogs day….do you people realize how many of you had dad's born on that day? So yeah...this chapter's poll…go to this site and answer **http/arcadeonlineDOTCOM/games/movie/end-of-the-world/ . (substitute the dotcom..if you will)**…do you think the world is coming to an end soon? Personally, I don't think soon, but I do worry for the lives of my future children…I mean with ozone depletion, idiotic leaders ruling the world, only a limited supply of fresh water and las vegas using all of it….well I just worry. So check out the site if you want…answer the poll….but more importantly, read and review.**

**Chapter Nineteen: When Duty Calls**

Lily looked up at James, her mouth opening slightly, her eyes wide open with alert.

James swallowed the piece of sandwich he had been chewing on and smiled awkwardly.

"What's wrong, Lily?" he asked, careful not to let his panic show.

Her green eyes looked down at her watch and James' smile vanished with his realization.

"Oh—Lily, where does it say to go?" he questioned.

Lily shook her head as she suddenly came to her senses, she read the watch face.

"Surrey, a primary school in Surrey." She said, standing up and fishing for something out of her purse.

"I've got it." James said, standing up quickly and throwing a handful of sickles on the table. He guided Lily out of the café.

"You okay, Lily?" he asked as she pulled out her wand, he followed suit.

"Yes—it's just, this is the school Petunia and I went to when we were little. It's a small private school, we've got to go, James." Her voice was frantic and it unnerved James like nothing else.

"Lily, yes, we'll be there in seconds, but before we go, I need you to take a deep breath. Come on, relax." James cooed softly with a demanding edge.

She inhaled for a moment and exhaled. "Okay, I'm ready."

James nodded and watched her apparate before following.

* * *

They appeared outside a tool shed a moment later. Both looked around, searching for any familiar faces. 

James caught sight of Sirius and Dorcas in the street, both appearing to be studying the situation with apprehension.

James dug in his pocket and pulled out a mirror Lily had seen him use to contact Sirius before.

"Sirius Black" he whispered.

Lily watched Sirius dig inside his cloak pocket as three more people apparated beside him. Benjy Fenwick and Grace Melbourne. A middle-aged woman came bustling out of the school at them, Grace, Benjy, and Dorcas all pulled their wands out. The woman didn't seem to be intimidated by the people standing in front of her, waving sticks.

She spoke a word with Sirius, before the entire group made it to the shed.

"Right." James said as they appeared.

"James, this is Ms. Figg, she's a teacher here, and a Squib." Grace said calmly. "She reported the situation to Dumbledore."

"Yes—yes, I did." The woman started. "Funny things started happening—owls floating about, and then, a few people with dark cloaks appeared. Well, I read the Prophet and my family has been friends of Dumbledore for years, and I knew something was wrong."

"How many are there? Where did they go and how long ago did they appear?" Lily asked, a powerful, urgent tone in her voice.

The woman seemed to recognize Lily, her eyes widening slightly, but she otherwise gave away no sign of recognition. "They arrived ten minutes ago, the owls fifteen. I've seen about six of them, they've sealed off the dining room, the seven and eight year-olds were having lunch, the nine and ten-year old classes were on a field trip today, and the five and six year-olds are having a nap in one classroom. I don't know if anyone has penetrated their room, I put on my cloak when I saw what was happening and was able to get out of the cafeteria and get help."

"An invisibility cloak?" James asked.

"Yes, my family gave me one for protection." She replied easily.

"Right. Lily, Sirius, I want you two to go to the five and six year olds, Lily knows the way."

James looked Sirius straight into the eyes and a sense of communication seemed to pass between them. Sirius nodded and James went for his cloak pocket and handed Lily his invisibility cloak.

"You two take this, and do what ever you can to keep them out of that room. Dorcas and I will go to the dining room with Ms. Figg here—keep your invisibility cloak handy, Ms.Figg--, and Benjy and Grace can keep outside, in case more come."

Benjy looked at James. "Don't you think you'll need more help—if there are six in there, and only two of you…"

Dorcas cut in as Sirius draped the cloak over Lily and himself. "We will be fine, but if we need any help, we'll send blue sparks into the sky, all right?"

Benjy nodded and his face became stony with seriousness. "Grace, come with me."

* * *

Sirius and Lily stealthily made it their way to the back of the school. 

"Do you know where we're going?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes, we're going through the custodial closet, I'm hoping they didn't know about that entrance, we can easily get to the other rooms from there." Lily replied, as they stopped at a very old looking door.

Lily pulled the handle, and the door easily opened to reveal the very cluttered, dirty closet.

"Follow me, and keep quiet." Lily said, holding the invisibility cloak up with Sirius closely following behind her.

She heard a light crash and Sirius inhale sharply and guessed that he had stubbed his toe. Years of sneaking around the Hogwarts' castle had given him great subtle slyness, although Lily hated to admit it.

They reached a hall and Lily ignored the posters around the school, celebrating the end of summer and beginning of fall.

They finally reached a door—Lily peaked in and saw two dozen youngsters napping soundly in a dimly lit room, with two teachers reading in the corner. She realized that this classroom probably had no idea of what horror could be happening in the cafeteria at the moment, the Death Eaters had probably put a silencing charm on the room, and they were probably unaware—for the time being—of there being any other children in the building.

"Okay." Lily whispered. "These are Muggle school children, Sirius. They probably don't know why we're here, and we're probably going to have to explain ourselves to the teachers. I'll do that. You distract the children, entertain them…I know you're good at that." Here she smiled kindly at him before continuing. "Just don't blatantly use magic in front of them, we don't want to have to do too many memory charms."

Sirius nodded. "All right." Lily smiled, this was the most serious she had ever seen Sirius.

Lily didn't bother knocking; she merely opened the door as quietly as possible. The sudden influx of light caused the teachers to look up, as well as a few of the children that had only been pretending to nap.

Sirius immediately shut the door behind them and quickly performed a locking and silencing charm on the door as subtly as he could, and Lily headed to the teachers, who were opening their mouths with questions. Sirius then headed to the group of children that had begun to stir.

"May we help you?" the older woman said, eying Lily's odd garb—she had a black cloak over a skirt and blouse.

"Excuse us." Lily said, as politely and calmly as she possibly could. "But we have a situation. You're going to need to listen to me…and believe every word I say. You're going to have to trust me."

The two women stared at her fixedly, prepared for whatever this odd looking young woman had to say.

XX

"All right. The dining hall is down this way, follow me." Ms. Figg said, although she couldn't be seen, Dorcas and James followed the sound of her hushed voice.

She led them to a pair of great, polished oak doors.

"There." Her voice quavered. "They're in there."

James and Dorcas looked at each other. They had studied methods of surprising and attacking enemies, but they had never really been tested. Now, here they were, the only people around that could save a bunch of Muggle school children.

Dorcas peered in through one of the windows in the doors.

"They have the kids lined up and facing them. There're two that appear to be the leaders, and there's four just sort of lurking in the back. About six members of staff seem to be bound by invisible rope…"

"Okay. Chances are, this is just a fun killing." James said.

"No one is dead yet!" Ms. Figg replied anxiously from a corner.

"No." James corrected himself. "Ms. Figg, thank you for your help, but I think it would be best for you to go into one of these classrooms." He pointed to one of the doors across the hall. "For your safety. I'll put a locking charm on it."

Ms. Figg seemed to think this was a good idea, and a moment later, the door open and closed quietly, without any sign of a perpetrator. James cast a locking charm and then nodded at Dorcas. "On the count of three."

Dorcas nodded her brown bobbed head, looking extremely fierce.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

Together, they whipped out their wands and cast the strongest unlocking charms they used, causing the doors to burst open.

The children, petrified as they were, they turned to the intrusion, as well as the group of Death Eaters, uniform in black cloaks and hoods, their identities protected.

"Ah." Came an oddly familiar voice, the leader of the group. "I see we have company."

The four Death Eaters in the back had the nerve to laugh.

"You can watch I suppose." The voice said in a cocky, roguish manner. James tried to pin the voice. It sounded like someone he remembered bumping into once or twice.

"We didn't come for a show." James said, holding out his wand, his eyes scanning the room quickly, the oddest sensation came over him, and he suddenly felt like he was back on the Quidditch pitch, trying to win the game.

"But you have such good seats." The leader cackled, before pointing his (or her, James decided. The voice was definitely female) wand at Dorcas and flicking her wand.

Dorcas lazily cast a shield that deferred the spell over to the wall, causing it to crack.

This seemed to queue the entourage of the lesser Death Eaters, all who had suddenly left their stations in the back corner and plunged at Dorcas and James, casting spells every which way. The two by the children carried on with their business of interrogated the petrified school children.

"Now, can anyone tell me what you all are?" James heard the voice ask again as he dodged a poorly cast unforgivable and attacked with the leg-locker jinx, effectively paralyzing his attacker and causing him to fall on the floor.

Dorcas had stunned two of the Death Eaters that had assumed she would be an easy target.

In the background, James heard a small, brave boy attempt to answer the question.

"British?" he squeaked nervously.

He heard the loathsome cackle before a scream of pain. The boy was coiled on the floor and thrashing, as if he was in some sort of epileptic seizure.

_If only I could get to him_. James thought he tried to make his way to the child when the fourth Death Eater sent a silent jinx on James' back, who turned around just in time to have a deep gash form in his left arm. His hazel eyes were didn't look down at the wound, only at his attacker. He knew that curse.

"_Snivellus_!" he spat venomously.

The Death Eater staggered back slightly, but raised his wand again, preparing to attack.

The boy's blood curdling screaming had stopped.

James was quick, however and sent him in the air, his ankle holding him up as if he was on a hook.

"You never did learn how to defend that one properly, Snivellus." James said before moving his wand again and stupefying him, causing him to crash onto the floor, causing an unpleasant thud to echo throughout the room.

James turned around as he heard the sound of clashing glass. Dorcas was now taking the two remaining Death Eaters on by herself, the one that had been lurking behind the leader had clumsily sent a curse at her, which she had easily deflected towards a tray of glasses.

More screams rung through the room, and James deflected as many cruciatius curses as he could as the leader moved her wand lazily, causing the unprepared children to fall to the floor, twitching a crying out in agony.

Soon James had distracted her by a duel, and Dorcas was dueling the remaining hooded opponent in the corner.

"_Crucio_!" the voice cackled, James ducked to miss it and sent back the first thing that came to his mind.

"_Tarantallegra_!"

The hex was deflected, but James had yelled out another. "_Expelliarmus_!"

The Death Eater stumbled backward slightly but quickly recovered, sending a ray of green light at James, which he deflected with a shield charm.

"I see Dumbledore has taught you well." The voice taunted. "Going to try an Unforgivable, Potter? I hear the Ministry has almost stooped to our level."

"You aren't worth it." James countered bitterly. "And the Ministry could never get lower than a bunch of blood-obsessed lunatics."

The Death Eater laughed horribly again.

"I see, Potter. You Mudblood lover. You could have been great you know, coming to our side. You can still be great, if you make the correct decision soon enough. The Dark Lord can forgive a few mistakes if you join us now, Potter."

James grinned. "Oh well then that settles it, if the powerful, great Dark Lord will forgive what he considers mistakes immediately, I'll join right now. Bellatrix, if you had told me sooner---that I could be forgiven for not joining a bunch of murderous crusades—I would have put on that fashionable hood long ago!"

His sarcastic reply returned no response from Bellatrix Black, instead a ray of green light was cast---James lazily deflected it, yet again—and Bellatrix ran for the window, apparating as soon as she got outside. A few moments later, James saw the Death Eater Dorcas had been fighting follow his leader out the window. James sent a quick bat-bogey hex at him, and he immediately shrieked as his face was attacked by a flock of bats. Dorcas then paralyzed him, sending him crashing to the floor.

James turned to see what had happened to the first four, only to see that Snape—or the cloaked man he assumed to be Snape—had vanished, along with one other formerly stupefied masked villain.

He swore loudly as Dorcas reached his side.

"It's okay. We'll just gather these three and then untie the teachers. We could possibly get a confession of their accomplices. We've done well, Potter."

James nodded slightly, although he still felt angry at the thought of Snape getting away. His thoughts drifted to Sirius and Lily. His stomach clenched at the thought of his two best friends and he prayed they were okay. Deep down, he knew they were—Sirius would take care of Lily—well, Lily could take of herself, but he felt better knowing his best mate was with her.

* * *

Lily and Sirius had been lucky for the last half an hour, no Death Eaters had come to the door. It was as she had expected—they had not counted on their being any other school children in the building—of course, she doubted that they were here for any particular purpose other than Muggle torture, and didn't care if there were any more kids there were, as long as they were able to kill a good dozen or so. 

Sirius was busy doing card tricks for a group of the children—who had never seen such magic in their entire lives—and Lily found herself engulfed in a group of little girls, asking her to play house and drink tea with them. The teachers were merely trying to look as if they were reading (they had explained to the class that their guests were from a local college and they were studying to be teachers and wanted to play with them) in the back of the room, exchanging apprehensive looks every few moments.

"This is Josie." A small girl with blonde hair and bluish green eyes said, holding up a doll with the same golden locks.

"Josie's very pretty." Lily replied, to the girl's delight.

"Play house with us again, Miss Lily." One of the other girls said. "You can be the mother."

"But we need a daddy." One of the others insisted. "Let's get Sirius to play."

Lily looked highly amused at this idea and checked her watch. Thirty-three minutes had passed since they had become elementary entertainers. Her thoughts wandered to James and she prayed that he was okay.

A knock came to the door just as the group of girls dragged Sirius to her, giving him the guidelines on how house was played.

Lily looked up and caught Sirius' eye, he nodded at her and she headed to the door, her wand handy.

She peeked through the glass window on the door and saw James, grinning stupidly at her, waving his hand for her to come out.

She nodded at Sirius before unlocking the door with her eyes and snuck out.

James grabbed hold of her and gave her a loving embrace as soon as she was within reach.

"You're okay." He said, taking in the scent of her hair before letting her go.

"You're not." She said, her smile dripping off her face. "What happened to your arm?"

She reached his left sleeve, which was soaked in blood and torn.

"Oh, well, I'll give you the specifics in a minute. I wanted to tell you that the dining hall is secure—Dorcas called Ministry officials and they're sending some Healers for the minor injuries, but I think they're going to have to send two of the kids to St. Mungo's. They're going to have to do a bunch of memory charms as well. Benjy and Grace stopped two more Death Eaters from entering, but they both escaped. We apprehended three ourselves…but three escaped." James reported, sounding slightly disappointed and irritated with his last words.

Lily reached for his uninjured arm and caressed it. "But no one is dead. You did a good job, James."

"You did too." James replied. "Sorry to keep you and Sirius back here—I know you two wanted to be in the actual action, and you would have been brilliant." He said, smiling at her, and pulling a strand of red hair out of her face. "But I just felt you two would be the best handling the children if anything went terrible."

Lily nodded and smiled slightly. "It's okay, James. We had a good time. Speaking of which, I'm missing a game of house. Are the Ministry officials here yet?"

James shook his head. "No, they should be here in a few minutes."

"Make sure you get your arm looked at, or I'll tell your mother." Lily replied reaching for the door handle. "I better get back, the kids think Sirius and I are students from the local university—future teachers that wanted to play with them today."

"Good story." James smiled. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

As Lily returned to the room, a pack of wizards and witches in Ministry robes entered the building, ready to perform dozens of memory charms.

Not five minutes had passed when two Ministry officials and one mediwitch entered the classroom. Sirius addressed them and explained the situation, before both he and Lily were dismissed—the children, not prepared for their new playmates to leave, said goodbye rather tearfully—and they went out to the front of the school, where three stern looking guards apparated with the three stupefied Death Eaters. James and Dorcas were being told to apparate to the Auror Headquarters when Lily greeted them.

"We need to dress your wounds." One man explained "And we can't risk doing it in a Muggle village." He turned to look at Lily. "And you should probably be checked out as well. And where's Black? He needs to be sent. Fenwick and Melbourne have already gone."

James looked rather grudgingly before nodding.

"I really don't think it's necessary for Sirius and I to go get checked out, we had no contact with Death Eaters." Lily interjected, she needed to get back to work, she was suddenly remembering her promise to Madam Bones to put the finishing touches on a few cases.

The man gave a stern look, his gray hair falling into his eyes. "You had no direct contact. You still need to be looked over. Ah. There's Black." He headed over to Sirius and left Lily no chance to debate him any further.

"Fine." She mumbled.

James grinned at her. "Come on, Shnuckums, maybe I can persuade the nurse to put us in the same room together." He waggled his eyebrows at her and Lily playfully hit his chest.

Before she could reply with a witty remark, Dorcas interrupted them.

"Let's go." She said, in her usual forceful manner.

A sour-looking Sirius appeared just in time to apparate with James, Lily, and Dorcas to the hospital wing of the Auror Headquarters.

* * *

**Thanks to my reviewers: ggyy, IAMSOAP, missing summer, riduculoslyriddikulus, sharp-tongued, Jude Harrison, Scooter5710, Zippy-Wings, heather Gernenz, chikichiki, luv24+Alias, Kaean, glowing-ice, White Camellia, and melochicmoonstar89…thanks!**

**And of course, thanks to my beta.**


	20. A Sirius Day

**A/N: Well hello there, readers! (and prospective, reviewers…) Thanks for coming to read the latest…poll question…Is there something your parents make you do that you can't stand doing? You know, the things that "build character". I have a nice list and I can't deny my character is spectacular. Great moral fiber, I have. Ha. Anyways, read, review. Thank you!**

**Chapter Twenty: A Sirius Day**

Lily emerged from her bedroom at half past eleven on Saturday morning. It was a considerably late hour to wake up, at least for her. She was usually up by nine on weekends, but this Saturday she was exhausted. She had spent Thursday evening at the Ministry, first being checked out for injuries, then giving reports to Aurors, then talking with the Daily Prophet, or rather, James fought off the Prophet, he later explained to Lily that Dumbledore wouldn't want any details out. (her interviewer had been Allison, who hadn't been that miffed, but was disappointed) and then she, Sirius, Benjy, James, Grace, and Dorcas had all gone to see Dumbledore. They had each given him their separate accounts of what had happened and they were dismissed. James had left angry, after Dumbledore had—according to James—made excuses for Snape.

James expelled a rant of curses and foul language till the time he dropped Lily off.

"May or may not have been Snape. What bullshit." Were the last words James had muttered before kissing Lily softy, telling her everything was going to be okay, and asking if she needed anything. She had shaken him off by asking how his arm was and telling him he should rest and take the day of training. He had refused. She knew he would, but it was worth a try. He left her in a slightly lighter mood, and she had hurried to her bed.

Friday had been hectic. She had to explain to Madam Bones that she had eaten a terrible bit of fish, that she had gone home violently sick immediately and was much too sick to even write—and then had to spend the rest of the day catching up on her work from the previous afternoon and listening to Owen go on about the responsibilities of being senior intern.

She spent her evening at James', checking on his arm and making sure he got plenty of rest. His day had been worse than hers, as he had to answer to Moody and continue with training. She was sorry to leave him, but he needed to get to sleep for his Saturday of training.

So here she was, Saturday morning, dressed in baggy pajama pants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a lazy ponytail and her stomach growling for breakfast. She entered her kitchen and began pulling out pans when she heard a gigantic yawn. Startled, she turned to see Sirius walking into the room, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed, covering her eyes.

Sirius turned lazily towards her, continuing his yawn for a few more moments before scratching himself, not understanding Lily's discomfort.

"Oh, hi, Lily. Didn't know you were still here." He said. "Making breakfast?" he added hopefully.

Lily nodded with her hand still over her eyes. "Um, yes, actually. I just got up—er, Sirius? Do you think you could go put on some trousers?"

"If you want me to." Sirius replied, disappearing to Charlotte's room.

Lily had time to compose herself and place the frying pan on the stove before he returned.

"Is Charlotte here?" she asked as she searched the fridge.

"No, she left early this morning for Paris, some work stuff, apparently. And she went to see her dad."

"Oh." Lily replied as she took out some eggs. "Well is there anything particular you would like?"

Sirius grinned handsomely.

"French toast?"

Lily laughed at his eagerness. "You're just like James sometimes, Sirius. French toast it is. Bacon or sausage?"

"Sausage." He replied, not missing a beat as he took a seat on the barstool as Lily pulled out her wand and began to cook.

"So, got any big plans today?" he asked.

Lily shook her head as she placed the egg-soaked bread into the pan.

"No. Well, I really need to get on with these wedding plans…I've got my dress, the bridesmaids gowns are ordered, James said he had his dress robes, my mum and I have picked out the flowers, but other than that…there's still so much left to do. It's all just so stressful."

Sirius nodded. "Oh, well. You'll get it together, I mean, it's you and James we're talking about. You two can pull off anything…and the wedding is still—" he counted on his fingers—"three months away."

"Three months!" Lily repeated frantically. "That's _three months_, Sirius. Well slightly more than three months…we have this week of September and the first week of January, but it's three months, and we still need to get the house set up. It needs furniture."

"You'll get it done." Sirius said calmly as he opened the paper. "Just relax. I can always help you guys if you need it."

"Well, thanks." Lily said, taking a deep breath as the sausage sizzled in the pan.

Ten minutes later and two places had been set at the bar and Lily sat down beside Sirius, putting a plate in front of him.

"This looks great. And it smells great. Hell, I'll even bet a galleon that it tastes great." Sirius said, taking his fork to the food.

Lily smiled and began to eat.

She was halfway done when an idea hit her.

"I was actually thinking of going furniture shopping for the house today…just a few things…I plan on buying them, as James insisted on paying for the house and all…"

"I'm sure James would want to pay for the furniture too." Sirius interjected, smiling. "Rich bastard."

Lily nodded. "Exactly, so I don't want to take him, because he'll insist on buying everything, and I want to do something for the house…to make it feel like I belong there, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying. If you don't do anything for the place, you'll feel like James just is sort of presenting everything to you…and you'll have to like it. Or at least you feel like you do. James really wouldn't care. I sort of felt like that when the Potters took me in. Just between you and me, I hated this one chair in my room. Puke green and this horrible yellow. It was revolting."

Lily laughed. "I think I know what chair you're talking about."

"It's hideous."

"Well can I ask you a favor?" she said.

Sirius nodded. "Of course, but only because you fixed me a delicious meal."

"Would you go with me to pick some things out? I don't want to take James, and you know what he likes…I don't want to choose anything to girly…"

Sirius thought for a moment, and for a brief second Lily thought he would say no.

But he nodded. "All right. I am free today, and you are my best friend's lover." He grinned.

Lily pushed him lightly, but he exaggerated the hit by falling off his stool.

"Some appreciation I get." He said, folding his arms as he stood.

"Oh, Sirius. You prat. Thank you for agreeing to go. Let me change into some different clothes and we'll go."

"Okay, I've got to piss."

Ten minutes later, and they were bounding down the streets of London, on their way to Diagon Alley.

* * *

James wiped the beads of sweat collecting on his brow with the sleeve of his cloak. Training for the day had just ended, and it had been more brutal than usual. Moody had brought in some top Aurors and had them practice sending their worst curses, hexes, and jinxes at the students, who all had to work together to defeat the army of Aurors. It had taken them five hours, but the class apprehended the Aurors. The experience was eventful and valuable, but James was completely drained and in dire need of water.

Dorcas approached him with a cup of cold water.

"Nice job, Potter, you saved my arse a few times." She smiled at him and James nodded.

"Well, it's not like you weren't there when the Prewetts tried to two-team me."

Dorcas grinned again and then looked past James for a moment before turning and patting him on the shoulder.

"Moody's coming, I think I'm going to go find a ladies' room." She smiled once more before disappearing.

James silently cursed himself as he turned to see Moody feet away from approaching him, he had no escape from his grueling instructor.

"Potter." He greeted gruffly.

James nodded. "Hello, Moody."

"Nice performance today, although I think your reactions should be a little quicker next time, Yardley nearly lost his nose." Moody started.

"Oh, yes, sir. I'll work on that it's just I've been---" James stopped himself. He had been about to say "tired" but didn't want Moody to think he was complaining about the long, excruciating hours of training.

"I don't want to hear excuses Potter, an Auror must always be on his toes. Constant diligence, I always say. Now, I believe you have some hours to make up with me for leaving early the other day."

James opened his mouth in a desperate chance to delay his extra practice, but closed his mouth and thought better of it. He had planned on having dinner with Lily that evening, but he didn't want to risk Moody thinking any less of him.

"Yes, sir. Could I please send an owl before we start?" James asked hopefully.

Moody sighed but his one real eye twinkled slightly as the other looked him over. "If you must, Potter, but be ready in five minutes. I've got a supper to eat, you know."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be back in three minutes." James smiled appreciatively before running off to find a Ministry owl.

* * *

Lily and Sirius returned to her flat that evening, Sirius looked rather worn out but content, and Lily was talking jubilantly.

"Thank-you so much for coming with me today, Sirius, I really appreciate it, and James will too, I'm sure…he won't be living in a effeminate house, now." She laughed slightly as she took of her black jacket.

"It was nothing, Lily. I had a good time." He checked his watch, or rather, James' watch. "James should be off training soon, do you two have plans tonight?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, we we're going to have some dinner and maybe go down to Diagon Alley and see what's going on there, you're welcome to come if you like."

"No, no, I'm fine." Sirius grinned. "I was going to get a drink with Peter tonight and wanted to know if James wanted to come along."

Lily nodded. "Oh, well, if you really want him to, I mean, don't let me keep you from him, you know…if you guys want to go out…"

Sirius waved his hand. "It's fine, Lily, you can have James for the night." He gave her his usual wink that always resulted in Lily kicking him.

"If you're sure." She replied, smiling kindly rather than hitting him. "And are you going to see Remus tonight? I worry about him getting lonely…he gets a little depressed when he's alone too long."

Sirius chuckled and his black hair fell into his eyes. "He'll be anything but lonely. He's spending the evening with Grace and we all know what an animal Remus is." He laughed again in his crude manner and Lily shook her head before opening the door for him.

"Thanks again, Sirius, have a nice night."

"You too." Sirius replied before giving her a pat on the head. "Tell Jamsie-boy his best mate said hello."

"Bye, Sirius." Lily chuckled as she shut the door.

She turned and headed to the sitting room, where she saw an owl at the window. Lily hurried over and let the bird in.

It fluttered around for a few moments before dropping the letter and rushing back out the window. Lily picked the note up, scanned its contents and sighed. James wouldn't be over till past nine.

Deciding that she had a good few hours ahead of her, she picked up her purse and put on her jacket again and headed to the market. If she was going to wait for James, she might as well make him a nice dinner.

* * *

Almost four hours later, a knock came to Lily's door.

Lily sat up from where she was reading on the couch, stifled a yawn, and headed to the door, hoping that it was James.

She opened the door to find a very tired looking James smiling at her.

"Sorry I'm so late, Moody was being extra…moody, tonight." He started, walking in.

Lily closed the door and gave him a comforting hug.

"It's all right. I had enough time to make a three course meal, so I hope you're still hungry."

"I'm famished." James replied rather happily at the prospect of food. "But don't tell me you still haven't eaten, it's almost ten o'clock."

"Of course I haven't eaten, you can't eat at a candle light supper for two without two people. It's against the rules."

James grinned. "I suppose it is, I hear they hang people for it in Germany."

"So the rumors are true." Lily said playfully, taking James' hand and leading him to the small dining room.

"Sadly, yes. You don't even want to hear what they do to people in Ukraine. It's simply horrific."

Lily laughed as guided James to his chair, before he sat down, however, he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her.

When they broke apart Lily smiled up at him. "What was that for?"

"I decided to thank you appropriately ahead of time for a delicious meal." He smiled handsomely, his hair sticking up in all directions as usual, and his glasses shimmering in the dim light.

"You might want to actually make sure the food is good before you thank me. It's probably dreadful."

"Your cooking is always fantastic, Lily." James grinned. "And besides, even if it was burnt to a crisp I would eat it now."

"I'll hold you to that, Potter." Lily replied before disappearing momentarily into the kitchen.

* * *

James patted his stomach lightly as he finished the treacle tart Lily had provided for dessert.

He studied her for a moment while she continued to eat, he often observed her indiscreetly, when he was tired and just happy to be alive. Lily was always to beautiful and radiant, and her presence always gave him such warm, jubilant feelings.

"What?" Lily finally asked, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. James had been studying her for a few minutes and his eyes were starting to glaze over.

"Oh, ah." James started, startled from his reverie. "I was just, er, thinking." He yawned slightly and smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" Lily inquired, slightly worried at James' state. She often saw him after training, when he was exhausted and sweaty, but he was never quite as withdrawn as he was currently.

"I'm fine." James replied with an attempted finality, he however, had looked straight into Lily's bright green eyes, which always glowed when they were in an inquisitive state. James sighed and put his hands through his ebony hair. "I'm just a bit stressed, is all. Training takes up so much time, you know? And well, everything just keeps coming at me…Moody, the Order stuff, Voldemort, the wedding, Merlin, Lily, there's so much left to do for the wedding!"

Lily stood up from where she was seated across from James and moved over to where he was sitting. She put her small, soft hands over his shoulders and began to massage them. The diamond ring on her left hand twinkled in the candlelight.

"You've just got to relax, James." She whispered. "Don't get too stressed out, it'll be okay. Everything always works out."

James nodded his head upward so he was staring straight up into her eyes.

"How do you know?" he whispered back.

"I just do." Lily replied, kissing him lightly on the forehead and smiling as she remembered Sirius' words. "After all, it is me and you we're talking about here. We can do anything."

James grinned and reached his hands up to touch her face, which was lingering inches away from his, and brought her lips to his for a sweet, tender kiss.

"You mean everything to me." He whispered softly moving his hands over her arms and pulling her around towards him, she sat on his lap and he held on to he as he burrowed his head into her shoulder and played with her red hair, twirling it in his fingers, like had always done when they had spent late night studying together at Hogwarts.

For that moment, they were both at peace--at peace with each other, and at peace with the world.

* * *

**Thanks to: Missing Summer, Hermione-lilypotter1234, unidentified writer, IAMSOAP, official cheeky devil, glowing-ice, scooter5710,elise bentwin, xxxxParvati-Patilxxxx, ggyy, harry-an-ginny, riduculouslyriddikulus, Jude Harrison, Heather Gernenz, WhiteCamellia, Luv24+Alias, Kaean, and chikichiki**

**And of course, thanks to my beta.**


	21. Peter, Among other Things

**A/N: And the wait is over! Ha. Yeah. Sorry about that. But it's almost summer, and in a few weeks I'll be done with AP exams…and then my graduation will be a month away…and then it'll be summer. And I'll be able to write more. So yay! So for the poll. What's your favorite thing about Spring/Summer? I love thunderstorms…so that'd be my favorite thing…**

**So anyways, review, please.**

Chapter Twenty-One: Peter, Among other Things 

It was Tuesday evening, and James found himself strolling the streets of Diagon Alley. The lanes weren't as crowded as they usually were, (more and more people were getting scared of You-Know-Who and insisted on staying indoors during darkness) James, however, felt confident in his magical ability and as he was free that evening—Lily was at Allison's and Sirius was with Charlotte—he felt the need to just peruse around town.

He walked down the street and took in the sunset. He was wearing one of his favorite cloaks—it was dark navy and of light-weight material, perfect for the early autumn. Deciding that he could use with some extra spending money, he made a bee-line for Gringotts.

The impressive white building always took him by surprise. It was simply gigantic, and he always marveled that almost the entire wealth of the magical community was stored in that one building. As he approached the large bronze doors he remembered the goblins. Merlin, he hated goblins. They were useful creatures, however. They were shrewd and fierce-- good qualities to possess when guarding the fortune of the Wizarding World.

As soon as he entered the building a goblin in a gold and red caught his eye and gave him a severe look-over before bowing to him. James shrugged it off and headed towards the counters where the goblin-tellers waited for money orders.

"Hello." James greeted the teller, he tried smiling but the creature frowned at him.

"May I help you?" the goblin asked, looking him over.

James nodded. "Er…yes. I've come to take some money out of my vault. The name's James Potter."

The goblin nodded. "A Potter, eh?" He gave a greedy smile and showed off his pointy, yellow teeth. "You have your key, I presume, sir?"

"Of course." James replied, smiling and pulling a gold key out of his pocket. Just as he was about to hand the key over, a large crash happened just behind where the goblin had been sitting behind the counter. James looked down to see a short, plump young man on the floor, scampering around and trying to pick up the pile of papers scattered on the floor. James smiled slightly. It was Peter Pettigrew.

"Idiot!" The teller yelled, turning harshly on Peter. "Can't even use your wand!"

Peter stood up, holding the stack of papers in his chubby, sweaty hands.

"I'm sorry, sir, I—I just, I tripped over the foot of your chair there, and I, I am sorry." He mumbled, his watery blue eyes praying for mercy from the savage goblin between James and himself.

"I've told you a thousand times, Pettigrew, watch where you're going, you worthless lump!" he scolded.

"Hey!" James interjected. "That's my friend there, sir, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to him like that. Now he said it was an accident, he's sorry, and he cleaned up his mess."

The goblin turned to look at James, the goblins shrewd eyes flickered, but something inside the little monster decided that James Potter wasn't worth arguing with.

"Very well, Mr. Potter." he looked at him for a moment more before calling for a goblin to take James to his vault.

Before James left, he motioned for Peter to come and talk to him. Peter, the papers still in his clumsy hands, nodded and stepped towards the counter.

"You okay, Wormtail?" James asked his friend. Peter didn't look okay. His eyes had dark circles under them and he wore a slight frown.

"Yes, I'm fine." Peter replied hastily as the goblin was looking over them and was more than likely listening to their conversation. "I've got to put this away before I spill them over again." He made to turn away but James stopped him.

"Wait, Peter. What time do you get off?"

"Seven."

"Eight." The goblin interrupted, giving a glare towards Peter.

James nodded. "Right, well, I'm getting some shopping done, and I'll be around for awhile, care to meet for a drink or something?"

"Sure." Peter replied, his eyes lighting with excitement. "The Leaky Cauldron, eight-thirty."

"Sounds good. Bye Peter, and be careful." James said, grinning before following the impatient goblin that had been waiting to take James to his vault.

After a round trip on the rickety cart, James left with a good pile of gold, silver, and bronze coins stowed away in his cloak. He tapped his pocket lightly before heading towards the first place he could think of; Quality Quidditch Supplies.

He admired the variety of brooms, new jerseys, and other trinkets that came with his favorite sport for half an hour before deciding he had nearly everything that could be of any use to him.

As he walked down the nearly empty street, he caught sight of familiar face through the glass of the most popular bookstore in Diagon Alley. Remus was working at Flourish and Blotts.

The bell dinged lightly as James entered, Remus looked up from where he was returning unwanted books to their proper places on the shelves.

"Prongs!" He smiled tiredly—the full moon was approaching. "I didn't know you read."

James grinned at his old friend. "Oh you know, the occasional book on Quidditch…but I was thinking of getting something for Lily, and I saw you in the window there."

Remus nodded as James approached him—they were almost completely alone except for an old witch in the back who was looking at used cookbooks.

"How have you been?" James asked. "Haven't seen you for a few days."

"Oh I'm fine, just a little tired, you know." Remus looked warily out the window to where an almost full moon was beginning to emerge in the dusk.

"Yes, I know. We'll be there." James replied, looking at his friend with sincerity. "Are you free at eight thirty? I ran into Wormtail at the bank and am going to meet him for a drink after he got off."

Remus shook his head, smiling slightly. "I'd like to, but Grace invited me over to her place for dinner."

James nodded. "Okay then." He leaned in closer to his friend to whisper. "Have you heard anything about Dumbledore's plan for you lately?"

"No, well, I won't be leaving anytime soon. I did speak with him the other day, though. He says a meeting is coming up soon." Remus answered quickly as the old woman approached him, books in tow to purchase. "I got to go take care of this, Prongs. There's some knew Charms books we have in the front there that Lily might like. I'll see you later."

"Okay, Moony, have fun tonight." James grinned at him before patting him on the shoulder and going to the 'Just In' display at the front.

* * *

Lily packed up her bag—stuffing it with folders and papers she had been working on that day. It was half past six, she had stayed late at the office. Dumbledore had sent her some names to look into, and she saw no harm in staying after her coworkers went home to research them. Now, she was forcing herself to leave the interesting world of criminals and meet Allison for dinner. They were meeting at this chic new restaurant in Diagon Alley…Allison had picked it out—Lily had offered meeting at a Muggle café, but Allison wasn't in the mood for Muggle dining.

She stopped at her flat for a few minutes to drop off her folders and such before heading towards Diagon Alley.

When Lily arrived at _The Purple Mushroom_ she found that Allison was already waiting for her at a table for two.

"Lily, over here!" she called, catching the attention of several other diners. She smiled, a slight blush rising in her cheeks. Lily laughed lightly and went to sit down.

* * *

By eight-twenty James had purchased a number of books for Lily, visited Remus for a few more minutes, stopped by the apocothary and was on his way to meet up with Peter.

When he arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, he found Peter sitting on a bar stool with vacant seats on both of his sides. Sitting there, sipping on firewhisky, he looked so lonely. He was as usual, dumpy-looking and oblivious to everything around him.

"Wormtail!" James greeted, slapping him on the back and causing Peter to spit out whatever drink had been in his mouth in surprise.

He looked up bashfully.

"Hullo, Prongs. Take a seat."

James obliged and waved Tom, the bartender, over.

"A bit of firewhisky, please." He said, before turning his attention to Peter and smiling.

"So how you been? Haven't seen you in awhile—I've been busy, and I imagine you have been too."

Peter nodded slightly. "Well you know, my mother's not doing to well these days and I'm kept pretty busy at Gringotts. Damn goblins." He shuddered.

James frowned. "What's the matter with your mother?"

Peter waved him off and tried to shrug. "Oh you know, she's just getting old—she was nearly forty when she had me. She's worn out and stressed."

"I see. Well, she just needs some rest and I imagine she'll be fine." James smiled kindly at him. "I'm sorry your…er..coworkers…for lack of a better word….aren't more friendly."

Peter shrugged again; his face was sweaty despite the draft coming into the bar, his flabby cheeks glistening in the candlelight. "Well I knew what kind of company I'd be getting when I accepted the job, Prongs."

"Well of course, but they don't have to be such bastards to you." James quipped, taking a drink from his glass.

"Yeah, well." Peter continued before smiling slightly—although James thought it looked rather forced, almost a grimace—" How are you and Lily, the wedding plans and all?"

James grinned like the love struck fool he was. "We're brilliant. She's got her dress and things picked out and I've got my stuff picked out and we've picked out our invitations and a few other things. There's still a lot to do of course, we've still got to get a cake, find a place for the wedding---that's really the most important part, isn't it? No, just marrying Lily is, doesn't matter where or how, just as long as it's her…" He smiled to himself, lost in his fantasy world that was the most reality he had ever experienced.

"Well just make sure I get an invitation." Peter said, taking a sip from his cup.

"Sure thing, mate." James grinned. "It's not that far off…we should probably send those off soon." He pondered for a minute before Peter broke the silence.

"I won't be able to make it to the next full moon…on Friday. There's no way they're going to let me off in time."

James' mind quickly changed gears. "Oh, but…" He studied Peter. "Well all right, if you have to. Remus'll miss you and it won't be the same, I hope we can manage."

"You'll manage all right, you don't really need me there nowadays anyway. It's not like you're still trying to get past the Whomping Willow."

James shook his head. "Now that's not right. It's not whether we need you or not, it's that we want you there, Pete." He looked at his friend sincerely, his dark hazel eyes piercing Peter's watery blue ones.

"Well as long as you'll miss me." Peter replied half-heartedly. "I'm sorry I can't go."

"Don't be sorry, just poison those goblins for us." James chuckled good-naturedly and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Lighten up, Wormtail."

* * *

He and Peter went their separate ways after a good twenty minutes more of mindless talking. Peter had said he needed to get back to his house, that his mother would be worried about him. James didn't doubt him, he was rather eager to get out of Peter's presence, although he hated to admit it. Peter was rather depressing lately.

As he pitter-pattered along the alley—yes, he could have gone off to his flat, but he didn't feel like it just yet—he heard a familiar laugh echo around the lane. He looked ahead and saw Lily's form with who must be Allison, laughing and talking happily. James grinned mischievously as he pulled out his wand.

With a swish of his wand, Lily's handbag suddenly yanked itself out of her reach and dangled itself a few feet in front of her. She looked at Allison, who looked just as bewildered as she did, and reached for it. The brown leather bag jumped out of her reach and continued to dangle like a carrot in front of a hungry horse.

"What the hell?" Lily interjected, making to grab it, only to be thwarted again. Allison lunged for it too, and Lily pulled out her wand—like the sensible witch she sometimes forgot she was. She went to summon the bag, but it only went further out of her reach.

She stomped her foot in frustration and turned around. "James Potter!"

"Lily, love." James greeted her in open arms. Lily pulled away. "What's the matter?"

"You've bewitched my bag." She said. As if to make a point, she motioned her hand towards the bag, which still hovered in the air out of her reach.

"I did no such thing." James replied, grinning. "I was merely leaving Peter at The Leaky Cauldron when I saw two beautiful young ladies being robbed by someone in an invisibility cloak. Can't be very fast or bright, though."

Lily hit him—none to lightly—in his chest. "Potter!"

James laughed and pulled out his wand, lifting the spell. "Sorry love, couldn't resist."

Lily sighed and Allison shook her head.

"I better be off, Jacob is going to be home soon and he might want something to eat…they keep holding him later and later at work."

"Right then, it was nice to see you, Allison." James said, smiling at her.

"Yes, dinner was wonderful, we'll have to do it again sometime." Lily added, giving her friend a quick embrace before letting her depart.

"Now James." Lily said, turning to him. "That little stunt wasn't funny."

James pouted. "Really? And I thought your sense of humor was better, Lily."

"Oh, I have a sense of humor, Potter, it just happens to have taste." She replied grinning at him.

"Well then you'll have to teach me to master your tasteful humor. I'd hate to not be able to make you laugh." He grinned goofily at her and Lily gave him a small smile.

"Good thing I'm a brilliant teacher." Lily retorted. "And I happen to fancy a good snog now and again."

James waggled his eyebrows at her and reached for her, pulling her body close and kissing her tenderly. "Now let me deliver you safely back to your flat, then you can maybe invite me in for tea and ask me about my dreadful day going over military tactics with Moony and I can hear you complain about Owen."

She smiled at him and kissed his nose before taking his hand and walking with him back to her flat.

* * *

They sat together on her couch, Lily cupping her tea in her small, slender hands and James' resting on the coffee table not to far off from where they were sitting. James had his arms wrapped around Lily, who was telling him about her dinner with Allison.

"She says she wants to double date sometime." Lily continued, looking up at James by tilting her head back.

"I suppose we can do that." James smiled. "Have her pick a date and time."

"Well hold on there's a catch." Lily replied quickly. "That's why I didn't agree to meet her and Jacob sometime on the spot."

James furrowed his dark eyebrows. "I see. Are they going to ask us to do the whole wife-swapping thing again? Because although the idea is creative, I'm not sure we can play, seeing as we're not married yet."

Lily stuck out her tongue at him. And James laughed.

"Actually, I think Allison wants you to somehow bring up marriage on our date…I don't know. I think she wants to get Jacob thinking about it." Lily looked deep into his hazel eyes and could see the uneasiness that lay there.

"I don't know, Lily. I don't want to pressure Jacob into something if he's not sure about it…I mean, if he's ready, he'll feel it." James started. "Not that it isn't a nice idea, marriage, but you need to know when it's time on your own, not have your friends pressure you into it."

"My thoughts exactly." Lily quipped, taking a sip of her tea. "Now how should I tell Allison that…"

"Be creative." James answered vaguely. "Speaking of marriage and weddings and all, I thought Sunday we could get together and do some serious planning, get everything settled, start on the house, it still needs to be furnished and cleaned up."

Lily nodded. "All right, I can pencil you in. It does mean I'll have to cancel my lunch with Gilderoy Lockhart…"

James silenced her with one of his long, slow kisses that always managed to take Lily's breath away. Once they broke apart, James knew her mind would be completely frazzled and she would temporarily forget anything they were just talking about.

Lily felt herself losing her senses—like she usually did when wrapped in James' embraces, but she ignored it. She turned her body so that she was lying lightly on top of him, her hands—which had just been holding her mug of tea that now lay empty and forgotten on the floor--tugged at his shirt. He pressed against her, closing in any space between their bodies. His strong, large hands caressed her torso and he let his long fingers play with the white buttons of her blue blouse.

All of a sudden, a door burst open and laughter echoed throughout the flat.

Charlotte and Sirius.

Lily and James, brought back to reality, opened their eyes.

A slight crimson spread into Lily's fair cheeks, her loose red hair dangled over James' face, and he looked into her green eyes, trying to read her thoughts. He sighed and let Lily slip off him.

"Hello, Charlotte." Lily called, giving an apologetic look to James before brushing herself off and picking up James' and her mugs, taking them back to the kitchen.

Charlotte turned to look at Lily, giggling slightly as Sirius kissed her neck.

"Hey, Lily, sorry if we woke you up." Charlotte apologized, although not looking sorry as she gave Lily's slightly disheveled appearance a glance over.

"Oh, I wasn't sleeping—I didn't know you'd be in so early." Lily replied, forcing a small smile. Just at that moment, James appeared from the dark sitting room and into the kitchen. He nodded to acknowledge Sirius and Charlotte. He squeezed Lily's shoulders and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"I better go, I'll see you tomorrow." James smiled and waved at his cousin and best friend before letting himself out.

Charlotte looked at Lily for a moment, her dark eyes questioning for only brief moment. Lily grinned in an almost nervous manner. "Well, I'll be off to bed, I was going to try to go in early tomorrow morning."

"Good night." Charlotte called to her. Sirius merely grunted in acknowledgement and continued with his flow of ticklish kisses, causing Charlotte to giggle into the night.

* * *

**POLL: What's your favorite thing about Spring/Summer?**

**So thanks to my reviewers! I really appreciate it…**

**Misshertfordshire, Missing Summer, official cheeky devil, xxxxParvati-Patilxxxx, scooter5710, Hilaryjojo, luv24+Alias, blvd, IAMSOAP, chikichiki, riduculouslyriddiklus, Kaean, and WhiteCamellia. **

**Hermione-lilypotter1234: Right now I'm still in high school, but next year I'll be at Appalachian State University…although my mother is still trying to get me to go to Carolina…thanks for reviewing…as I do love writing this story and I do love reviews..**

**glowing-ice: Agh. Yes, it IS vigilance. Silly me. My apologies. Thanks for the reviews.**

**unidentifiedwriter: I really hate TOO much drama, so I'm glad you don't think I have too much. Thanks for the review!**

**And as always, thanks to my beta. And I'm sorry, but you may be mad at me for a few chapters more.**


	22. Invasive Ideas

**A/N: Ok. So here you go. As for the poll…most people like summer because of vacation (really, that's shocking!)….As for this chapter's poll…(Relating to HBP)…Do you think Harry and Ginny will get back together? 'Cause I was pissed when they broke up…it was just so stupid…anyhoo….read, review… **

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Invasive Ideas**

The rain was flowing heavily that Thursday afternoon. From where she stood, sipping her coffee and looking out the window of the lounge, Lily could tell the water splashing on the streets below was cold. It was the first of October, the leaves on the trees outside had all turned various shades of reds and browns, and some trees had already lost their leaves. She loved the cold and she loved the rain, and although it made the work atmosphere stuffier and made many of her coworkers irritable, she couldn't help but feel relaxed and content, especially as the rich coffee scent wafted around her.

Her solitude was interrupted as two young women—maybe a few years older than she burst into the empty lounge. It was half past two, and most employees had already had their lunch. Lily recognized the two late diners as Cynthia and Becky—she had never bothered to learn their last names. Cynthia was tall and thin; she had bright blue eyes that always looked excited. Her hair was very curly, and she had put her dark chestnut locks into a loose bun. Cynthia was the department receptionist and Lily had always found her strikingly beautiful. Becky was a happy sort, short bodied, curvy, with blonde hair and a bright smile. She was the secretary of one of the most influential judges on the Wizengomot, Barty Crouch.

They noticed Lily once they had both taken a seat at the large oak table.

"Hello there, Lily, didn't see you there for a moment—care to join us?" Cynthia asked, looking up at Lily with friendly eyes.

Lily smiled. "Oh, well I've already had my lunch break an hour or so ago…"

They both were staring up at her now and it made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"At least join us while you finish your coffee, surely you don't want to get back to old Madam Bones too soon?" Becky continued as she pulled a salad out of her lunch bag.

Lily, seeing no harm in staying for a few minutes longer, decided to take a seat beside Cynthia.

Moments later, she was wondering why they had even bothered inviting her to sit down in the first place, they were wrapped up in their own conversation and had barely recognized Lily at all, besides offering her portions of their salads.

"So tell me, Cynthia, as you have failed to mention your date last night…how did it go?" Becky said.

Cynthia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That bad, huh?" Becky concluded, taking a sip of water. "But he looked so promising. Tall, that blonde hair…he's rich too, of good blood…has connections."

"Oh he as all that, he mentioned it about fifty times---before the food came." Cynthia added. "And then he had the nerve to try and invite himself inside when he dropped me off."

Becky sighed. "What did you tell him?"

"I didn't tell him anything—he came right in and we had a wonderful time. You know how I can't resist a man with a little edge."

Cynthia's laugh echoed throughout the small room, and Becky shook her head, smiling. Lily had almost choked on her coffee.

"So are you going to see him again?" Becky inquired eagerly.

"Oh, no, I don't think so. When he left this morning I made it perfectly clear that the actual date was dreadful and that I never wanted to see him again." Cynthia replied nonchalantly.

Becky shook her head. "Not that great of a shag, then?"

"Not good enough to sit through another date like that." Cynthia quipped, smiling, her excited cerulean eyes reminding her that Lily was still there.

"So Lily, are you seeing anyone?" she asked attentively. Becky was staring at her now as well.

Lily smiled; although she had been caught a little off guard, she always enjoyed an opportunity to tell someone she was marrying James Potter.

"I'm engaged." Lily answered, finishing the last of her coffee.

"Really?" Becky exclaimed. "That's so exciting! Is he handsome?"

"Wealthy?" Cynthia added to the inquiry.

"Very handsome." Lily replied. "And he is fairly well off."

"What's his name?" Becky pondered.

"James Potter."

"Potter!" The two girls exclaimed at the same time.

"You get to marry a Potter! Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Cynthia asked, flabbergasted. "The Potters are one of the most influential families in all of England!"

Before Lily could point out that she only saw both Cynthia and Becky for a few seconds on a normal day and that she had never had real conversation with either one of them, Becky started talking again.

"So how is he?" Her light green eyes lighting up.

"He's a wonderful man, I couldn't ask for anything more." Lily replied, wondering what kind of question that was. Why would she marry a horrible person?

Becky and Cynthia both giggled.

"She means in bed." Cynthia elaborated.

Lily nodded slowly, realization coming over her. She prayed her face wasn't turning too red at her embarrassment.

"Oh, well yes, of course." She started, both of her companions staring at her. "We, um, well—"

Just then, Becky gasped. "Crouch is back from his lunch, I've got to go!" she pointed at the man walking by. He was wearing all black and looked very serious in a way that reminded Lily of Professor McGonagall.

"I better get back too, I've been getting a cup of coffee for long enough." Lily interjected, taking her opportunity to get away from the two—however nice—prying girls.

A minute later she found herself in the quiet of her cubicle. Madam Bones hadn't even noticed she was gone. She sighed and tried to get back to work.

Ten minutes later she found herself looking at the same document on a man named MacNair and that her eyes were glazing over. She wasn't getting any work done because she couldn't get _it_ out of her mind.

Sex. Sure she'd thought about it. How could she not? James was always so pleasing and handsome. Did James think about sex? Sure he did, Lily told herself. Probably more than she did, especially with Sirius around, always bringing the subject up. Did he want to? Of course he did. Did he expect it of her? No, she decided. They talked about it. Once. Last spring. James said he'd wait as long as she wanted. Did he still feel the same way? Lily couldn't help but feel that he really wanted to; especially with the look he had given her the other night on the couch. It had been so imploring, so full of desire. He loved her. She loved him. She trusted him. Lily sighed and put down her quill as she thought. There was only one question left. Did she want to?

She thought about James and closed her eyes. He came into view. He looked absolutely amazing, as usual. His dark messy hair, his dark, energetic eyes, his goofy glasses that would make anyone else look like some sort of prick. His body. His toned, beautiful body…

She did. It was decided. She really, really, would like to make love to James Potter.

But the timing would have to be right, and when would she bring it up? She sighed. She could think of the details later…she had to get back to work before Madam Bones, or to her dismay, Owen, came to check on her.

* * *

James stepped out of the hot shower, reaching for a large blue towel on the counter top. He dried his hair first, tousling it just so. He wrapped himself up and grabbed his glasses, placing them on his damp nose. As he left the bathroom and entered his bedroom, the steam left his glasses foggy.

A knock came to his bedroom door. An unexpected knock, a polite knock. A knock that would not come from Sirius, as he liked barging in on people.

"Come in." James called, wrapping his towel tighter. His mother might be at the door, after all.

The door opened and Lily walked in, smiling at him, her cheeks turning slightly red as she found James in a towel.

"Hi." James greeted.

"Are you ready?" Lily asked him, looking around his room, her eyes darting anywhere but to James' half naked body.

James walked towards her. "For what?" His eyebrow was quirked slightly and he was grinning.

"For…for…the meeting, James. Did you not know about it? We got the message on our watches this afternoon, Sirius has already left…and I figured I'd come by…just in case you didn't know…because you usually owl me after you find out about a meeting." Lily said this all slow, James was getting closer and she could smell the soap he had just used in the shower.

"Meeting? Oh!" James said in a surprised voice. "I didn't have my watch on for a little while today, Moody made us take off all jewelry. Something about a spell back firing and burning our wrists…he's a bit dotty…"

"Yes, well, there's a meeting at eight, and it's already ten till…" Lily replied. She smiled at James' appearance. He was looking down at her, a perplexed expression crossed over her face, his glasses were sliding down his nose. He looked adorable. She stepped closer to him and brought his head to hers, kissing him in a swift motion. James, slightly taken aback, responded quickly. Lily then let go and made her way to the door. "I'll wait for you to get changed. Have you had dinner?"

James shook his head and Lily shut the door.

He appeared a few moments later, dressed in a pair of jeans, a blue sweater, and a water repellent cloak to wear in the rain.

Lily handed him a sandwich, which he took hungrily.

"Ready?" she asked, studying him for a few seconds.

James nodded, as his mouth was much too full.

* * *

"James, Lily, glad you could make it." Professor McGonagall greeted in her professional manner.

James gave an apologetic look to Lily. They were almost ten minutes late. Lily, however, just smiled and took a seat in the back of the classroom.

"Should I serve my detention now or later, Professor?" James asked sarcastically. This was uncannily like being late for Transfiguration.

"Just take your seat, James." Professor McGonagall replied, trying her hardest not to smile at her former student. "We were just discussing some offensive strategies."

"All right, well, continue." James grinned at her again and took a seat beside Lily.

"We seem to think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is meeting with his supporters in a few locations—one of them is bound to be very isolated and heavily guarded with old, dark magic. We also think he has a few more public meeting spots, places that are openly supportive of the Dark Arts. We want to find these locations. If we can find where he's meeting, there are opportunities for spies and such."

"Do we have any ideas where these locations are, or are we just looking for sand in fairy dust, Professor?" James asked in a bold manner.

Several of the people surrounding them turned to look at James, nodding their heads.

Before Professor McGonagall could answer, Dumbledore, who had otherwise been unnoticed by many, stood up.

"We have a general idea. But only very general. We are trying to eliminate places we know they can't be meeting to find the places they could be meeting. It's a difficult process, but I think, if it is accomplished we will have gained a definite advantage over Voldemort."

A few people gasped. Peter did, James noticed. He was sitting beside Sirius, Remus, and Grace and looking terrified. James glanced at his friends and suddenly got an idea.

James stood up. "I think I can be of assistance, Headmaster. As well as all of the Marauders, if they want to, that is."

Lily looked at James with an eyebrow raised.

Dumbledore smiled.

"I'll need everyone's help, James; but I think you're right---the Marauders could be of particular help in this case. Talk to me after the meeting."

James nodded and sat back down, exchanging looks with an ecstatic Sirius, an interested Remus, and a worried Peter.

"What are you on about?" Lily whispered.

James smiled at her.

"Lily, if there's anything I know, it's marauding---and what better skill to have when looking for top-secret locations?"

"Right." Lily replied, amazed at James' cleverness. "Well, I want in on whatever you four are doing."

James knew he couldn't object to Lily, so he merely nodded his head and put an arm around her. Together they listened to other updates in the Order of the Phoenix.

At the end of the meeting the Marauders and Lily rushed over to greet Dumbledore.

He smiled at them all and his blue eyes twinkled behind his half moon glasses.

"What do you want us to do?" James asked.

Sirius nodded. "Where do we need to go?"

Dumbledore chuckled lightly.

"Follow me to my office. Would anyone care for a lemon drop?"

Lily nodded and took a candy from her old Headmaster's offered hand.

Once they were all seated in his office, Dumbledore pulled out a large map. James recognized it as Diagon Alley. Certain places had a bright orange phoenix hovering over them.

"The places marked with the phoenix are locations we know are true to the Order." Dumbledore announced, as the five of them hovered over his desk, looking at the map.

Lily noticed that Olivander's and Florean Fetiscue's shops were of those marked and she smiled.

"We still have a number of unmarked shops—Madam Malkin's, for example." Dumbledore started. "As Diagon Alley is barrier between Muggle and Magical London, it is important that we search all these areas. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if none of the places here were the head quarters of the Dark Lord, but we must check the most obvious places before we move on to more suspecting places—Knockturn Alley, for example."

The five former students nodded and listened as Professor Dumbledore continued.

Half an hour later, they found themselves walking down the spiral staircase. James and Sirius were talking eagerly, devising plans that seemed a little outrageous and foolhardy. Lily and Remus talked of more rational ideas, while Peter stared at the floor with his hands in his robe pockets.

"Are you okay?" Lily finally asked him as they made their way back to the classroom.

Peter looked down at her. He wasn't that much taller than she, at only five eight, and the fact that he was slouching brought them almost to eye level.

"It's nothing, Lily. I'm just tired." He replied in a soft voice. He gave her a small smile. "Thanks for your concern."

Lily nodded as she thought of James' words from the other night. Peter had seemed a little depressed then, hadn't he?

"Well if you need anything, I'm here for you." Lily said, giving him an encouraging smile. "And so are your friends."

"I know." Peter replied, without saying anything more.

"Let's go out for a drink, come on, Moony, Prongs—Evans and Wormtail, I know you all want to." Sirius proposed. "I want to see you piss drunk, Evans."

"I don't know about getting piss drunk, Sirius, but I'd be more than happy then going for a drink. Care to join me James, or are you too tired from training?" Lily responded, smiling and reaching for James' hand.

"A night with my favorite people? I wouldn't miss it for the world." James said, flashing a cheesy grin and an exaggerated wink.

Remus chuckled. "I can come too."

"It's settled then, you coming, Wormtail?" Sirius asked, draping his arm over Peter's shoulders.

Peter shook his head. "I better get home. I'll see you all later. Have a good night."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were all huddled in a booth at The Three Broomsticks, talking and laughing together.

"And then Frank was so embarrassed that he let us break for lunch early so he could go and fix his trousers." Sirius said, his usual mischievous glint in his eye.

"You really shouldn't disrespect your mentors like that." Lily scolded slightly, fighting to suppress a giggle. "It's not polite."

Sirius waggled his eyebrows at her, as she was sitting across from him, curled up beside James.

"Sod off, Lily, you're not Head Girl anymore."

Lily gasped in an affronted manner, and resorting to kick Sirius from under the table.

"Ouch!" Sirius yelped. He turned to James cupping his hands over his mouth and whispering loudly, "Mate, I should warn you, you're girl is playing footsie with other men…" Sirius winced as Lily kicked at him again—she was wearing heels, after all.

James laughed and turned to Lily. "Next time kick him harder…he doesn't get kicked enough…"

"Some friend you are." Sirius retorted. He draped his long arm over Moony and gave him a manly pat on the back. "At least I have ol' Moony here."

Remus shoved Sirius' arm off. He was looking rather tired and worn out as the full moon was the next evening, but was determinedly happy.

"Get off me, Padfoot…hell if I'll have Lily kicking my shins…" Remus smiled as he lifted his pint of mead.

"I see how it is." Sirius replied, "Lousy rotten friends."

**

* * *

POLL: Do you think Harry and Ginny will get back together?**

**Thanks to: Lexy Granger, Ro, Scooter5710, Lost Fairy815, Bianca, IAMSOAP, Kaen, riduculouslyriddikulus, elise bentwin, Missing Summer, harry-and-ginny, xxxxparvati-patilxxxx, Hermione-lilypotter1234, luv24+Alias, chikichiki, and Tricdksty One.**

**Bianca: The Flawed is the sequel to the Tragic Flaw.**

**Hermione-lilypotter1234- I graduate June 9, 2006 …not soon enough…**

**And of course …thanks to my beta, whom I appreciate very much. And you may love me by the next chapter, if things keep going according to plan.**


	23. When it Rains it Pours

**A/N: Hello all. Sorry for the wait…meant to post this earlier…but it's really not my fault. I mean, I meant to post this over a week ago before I went out of town but fanfiction was not cooperating with me. So..the long awaited chapter. Sorry..oh and Happy early Fourth of July! And I'm going to dedicate this chapter to my older brother..who just became The Best Young Chef in the United States. I'm so proud of him!...ok..lol..As for the poll last chapter…I'm happy to report you all think JKR will get Ginny and Harry back together. Somehow. As for this week's poll, you ask? Well my lovely beta has provided this one…so answer. Do you think that the current youth should get out there and start demonstrating and protesting just as the former generation of hippies had done? All right. So answer that. Review. Thanks.**

Chapter Twenty-Three: When it Rains, it Pours

Just over a week had passed since the meeting. It had been a fairly nice week, if James said so himself. Remus' transformation had gone well, at least, considerably well; no one had to be sent to St. Mungo's. Training had been ruthless, as usual, but Mad-Eye had been in a chipper mood, that is to say, as "chipper" as Mad-Eye could get. James had spent Sunday with Lily; they had gotten most of their wedding plans done. They had decided (after much petty arguing) to get married in Lily's childhood church—her very _Muggle_ church. They had decided to post on the invitations going to James' few relatives and other magical friends that would be attending (it was going to be a relatively small wedding) to wear only Muggle attire. Lily hoped they took the recommendation to heart. James hoped they didn't come in something completely ridiculous. The only thing left to decide was the honeymoon; but James was sure Lily was going to pick the Canary Islands. At least, he hoped so. It always seemed so pleasant there. Yes, it had been a good week, James established. And now it was Saturday evening and they were standing in front of Madam Malkin's dress shop on business for the Order.

"Lily and I will go check out Madam Malkin's." James decided, his invisibility cloak tucked into his robe pocket.

"While you lovebirds go buy robes we'll check out Quality Quidditch Supplies." Sirius said, giving a wink to Lily and gesturing towards Remus and Peter. "Good luck."

"You too." James replied, patting Sirius on the back.

"Don't do anything too risky." Lily added, ignoring Sirius' rolling eyes and speaking to Remus.

Remus smiled.

"No need to worry, Lily. You know I was always the sensible Marauder."

"And consequently the one that missed out on all the fun." Sirius added.

"We better get going—let's meet back out here in a half hour. We've got three more places to go after this." James mediated, placing his arm around Lily's shoulders and waving his friends off.

He leaned in and whispered in Lily's ear, an action which if witnessed by a passer-by would have shown the utmost affection and intimacy shown between the two. James' whispers weren't intended for pleasure, however.

"Okay, so, you can try on the robes, and I'll look around." James whispered.

"Why can't you try on the robes?" Lily asked, not keen on getting her measurements taken. She had the feeling she had been gaining a little weight these past months and wanted nothing more than to ignore it.

James sighed. "I always feel like she's groping me…and that she enjoys it."

"Fine, but next time…I get to look around." Lily compromised, smiling at the thought of James being groped by a middle-aged woman.

"Thank-you." James replied, kissing her cheek. "And who knows, Lily, you might get a new set of robes out of this…"

Lily laughed as they walked through the doors to the shop. The tiny Madam Malkin appeared out of nowhere, measuring tape draped around her little shoulders.

"What can I do you for?" she asked, looking pleasantly at the couple.

"My fiancée is interested in some new dress robes." James said smoothly. "She's to have what ever her heart desires."

Madam Malkin took Lily by the arm excitedly. "Right this way, dear!"

As she was pulled away from James, Lily turned to give James a slight glare. He grinned and gave her a cheesy wink.

Five minutes later, James was observing Lily up on a stool in front of a few body-length mirrors; she was wearing a repulsive brown gown that Madam Malkin had insisted would look perfect on Lily, despite Lily's protests-- Madam Malkin was currently poking her with a very sharp needle.

Lily bit her lip to keep from snapping at the woman, and James held in a laugh at Lily's discomfort.

"We may need to take in the sides a little. Half an inch on each side, tops." The energetic woman decided.

"Oh, okay." Lily replied, glaring at James struggling with his laughter.

"While you girls tend to that, I'll go and find Lily some more gowns." James interjected. He hoped to be able to snoop around the shop while Madam Malkin was occupied.

"Go ahead, deary! There's some dazzling ones in the back there…my niece was in here the other day trying them on and she looked absolutely beautiful in them."

"I'm sure she did." James replied, he caught Lily's eye and winked at her, leaving her with the seamstress.

James walked through the small shop and headed to the counter where the register was. He looked around quickly and then pulled his invisibility cloak over himself. He searched the drawers, the list of customers, in all the books on the shelf behind the counter. James found nothing there that looked suspicious. The names of the people ordering robes had no particular pattern, and no known Death Eaters were on the list. He saw a few family photos—one was a large young woman standing next to Madam Malkin. James assumed it was her niece. He gave up on searching the counter and went to go look into the storage cupboard.

After a few minutes of quick searching, James had nothing—however, he did hear Madam Malkin calling his name to come and see Lily.

James returned from the closet and pulled off his cloak.

"Just a second—I'm having trouble finding what I want her to try on next." James called, looking around frantically for something that would look good on Lily—and something in her size. He remembered Charlotte not talking to Sirius for a week when he bought her a dress three sizes too big.

He found a few gowns in Lily's most flattering colors (or at least, what he thought looked sexiest—emerald green, ivory, and black.)

When he returned to the fitting area, he found Lily down from the stool, turning for Madam Malkin.

"Yes, yes, I think that looks fabulous!" she exclaimed.

Lily smiled at gave the woman a satisfactory answer.

"Now, son, what have you brought us?" the middle-aged woman asked, turning to James.

She snatched the robes from James' hands and inspected them.

"You look lovely, Lily." James told his fiancée, who he truly thought looked beautiful, despite the hideous gown. Madam Malkin had made sure to take it in so that it flattered every one of her curves.

Lily rolled her eyes at him, but the small smile creeping on her lips told James that she wasn't really mad at him.

"Ah, these are lovely, you're lucky to have a man that knows his fashion…" Madam Malkin started. "Would you like me to make the same alterations to these?"

Lily bit her lip, searching for an answer…she didn't want to have to try on all of those robes.

"Oh, wow, Lily, it's seven thirty all ready, and I told your Mum we'd come over for that wonderful cherry pie she makes this evening. We'd better get going." James lied.

"But Jamie-kins, I want to try on all of these lovely gowns you've picked out!" Lily replied, in an exaggerated manner.

James frowned and rubbed his chin as if in thought. "I know, I know—we can come back and try them on, but you know how your mother is—she doesn't like to be kept up too late. Let's just get this gown you have on now, and we'll go."

* * *

Five minutes later, Lily and James were back in the street, James holding a large bag that contained Lily's new robe.

"Will you be changing into this now or are you saving it for some special occasion?" James asked, grinning down at Lily and draping his arm around her.

Lily glared at James. "Next time, you have to be the distraction—and I'm going to pick a revolting store to investigate…how about that lingerie store down the bend? I'm sure Earl the clerk would love to size you up."

"Diagon Alley doesn't have a lingerie store." James stated.

"Yes it does." Lily replied, winking at him. "You just have to know the right people."

"So does that mean you've been buying new undergarments lately?" James asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Lily smiled flirtatiously at him. "No, it means that you've been looking for a lingerie store."

Before James could gather what she had said, Sirius and Remus joined them, both looking flushed.

"Find anything?" Sirius asked, breathing heavily.

"No, but Madam Malkin has a lovely niece the size of a whale." James answered. "You?"

Sirius smiled slightly "Ah, Ruby. I've met her…and no, nothing unusual as far as Quidditch is concerned."

Lily looked from Sirius to Remus.

"Where's Peter?"

The two men standing in front of her exchanged glances, just as Peter came running down the lane. In the distance, an old man yelled something unintelligent and shook his fist in Peter's direction.

"Old Mr. Bates caught Peter…er…'investigating' behind the counter, and sort of got a bit…mad…at him." Remus stated as Peter bounded into their group.

"You couldn't have come and helped me?" Peter panted.

"Sorry mate, but I got caught nicking something from that place once, and my left buttock hasn't been the same since." Sirius replied as his hand ventured below his waist and he patted his bottom, wincing slightly in remembrance.

James chuckled slightly. "Let's finish up…we'll get Ollivander's and you can take Florean's place."

"All right." Remus replied. "Meet you in fifteen minutes."

"But James, I thought we'd check out the lingerie!" Lily exclaimed, laughing.

"There isn't a lingerie store in Diagon Alley." Sirius reported with a sense of all-knowing wisdom.

"If you know the right people…" Lily started before being tugged away by James.

* * *

An hour later, Lily, Sirius, and James were sitting in James and Sirius' shared flat. Remus had told the group he would report to Dumbledore (they had found nothing) as he had some other things to discuss with him, and Peter had insisted on tagging along.

"Charlotte's coming over tonight." Sirius announced as he searched for something to drink.

"That's nice." James replied as he sat on the recliner in the sitting room, pulling Lily on top of him.

"Haven't seen her in almost a week. She's been out of town." Sirius continued.

"Are you trying to tell us to leave, Sirius? Because we'd be perfectly happy doing so." Lily finally called out, squirming as James attempted to tickle her.

"More or less so." Sirius replied as a loud crash erupted in the kitchen. "Damn."

Maniacal giggles erupted from the living room as Lily flailed about.

"She's supposed to be over in a few minutes." Sirius called out, ignoring Lily's shrieks for help.

"Fine, we're going, Padfoot." James said finally, helping a teary-eyed Lily off the floor as he stood up. "Have fun."

"Yes, have a nice evening, Sirius." Lily added, winking at him before following James out the door.

* * *

"Well what would you like to do?" James asked, holding Lily's hand in his as they walked the London streets. The time had changed, and it was now dark.

Lily thought for a moment as she swung her arm lightly, carrying James' with hers. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"I had a sandwich before we met earlier today…but I could eat again."

"Let's go to his restaurant down the lane. It has the best desserts." Lily suggested. "Over thirty three kinds of pie. And forty three ice cream flavors!"

James frowned slightly. "Is it Muggle?"

Lily's grin faltered. "Yes…do you not feel like going Muggle tonight?"

He shook his head, causing his many rebellious hairs to fall into his eyes. "No, it's just that I don't have any Muggle money. We'd have to go exchange at Diagon Alley first."

Lily kissed him spontaneously on his nose. "Don't worry, I have money. And don't give me any of that I-have-to-be-a-gentleman-and-pay-bullshit, I can count the number of times I've paid for our dates on one hand."

"But I like paying for you." James replied, smiling sweetly at her as they walked.

Lily shook her head, her red hair fell loose on her shoulders, shadowing her profile. James could tell she was grinning.

* * *

"What will you be having?" the tall waitress asked. She had dark hair that was pinned tightly to her small head. She seemed rather impatient and annoyed.

"I'll have the custard pie." Lily decided after reading the menu. She and James had been seated for only a few minutes when the hoity waitress had demanded for their orders.

"Dessert for dinner? I only hope you won't enforce these unhealthy eating habits on our children…" James said, keeping his smirk hostage and looking at Lily with the utmost seriousness.

Lily took a sip of her water. "Sod off."

"What will you be having?" The woman asked, staring pointedly at James.

James, always one for teasing and annoying already stressed out people (hence, teasing Lily for the better part of seven years) smiled and read the menu slowly.

The waitress huffed and began tapping her foot.

"Hm. Does the chocolate pie have any gooseberries, walnuts, or legumes in it?"

The waitress' dark eyes flickered at him. "No, it's a simple chocolate pie---like the description says."

"Oh. I'm a little bad with reading…after that terrible eye operation I went under as a child…had a tumor in my right eye, you see…and when I was ten this pencil got stuck in my left eye…and well, I've had to undergo numerous operations to try to restore my vision…I still have to wear these wretched glasses…" he continued, talking slowly and elaborately as if the woman standing before him cared.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir." She replied, nonplussed. "So the chocolate pie?"

"If you're absolutely sure there are no gooseberries—I'm deathly allergic, you see---then yes, and a slice of apple. And can we get two mugs of coffee?" James finally ordered. "Thank-you, ma'm."

The waitress left with their orders, not sure what to make with the gentleman she had just encountered.

"I'm glad you've matured so much these past few months, James." Lily stated once they were left alone.

"It's been hard, love." James replied cheekily, sliding closer to her in their booth and planting a kiss on her cheek.

After almost half an hour of waiting—and James' outcry of "how long does it take to put a piece of bloody pie on a plate…"---their pie was delivered to them, along with two warm mugs of coffee.

"Cheers." James said, grinning his typical wide, toothy smile and lifting his mug to hers.

* * *

"That was lovely." Lily said as they left the small restaurant. She was clutching James's hand as they walked close together. The temperature was dropping quickly, and Lily was regretting not wearing her cloak.

"For the most part." James replied. "I still can't believe you tipped the waitress."

"It's impolite not to tip." Lily quipped.

He shook his head. "Not if the service is lousy."

"She wasn't that bad…if you weren't being so _childish_…" Lily pursed her lips. She was beginning to get irritated.

"I wasn't being childish." James defended.

They walked in silence for a moment, then James spoke again. "She was being rude, you can't say she wasn't…you just have that rule about being nice to everyone…"

Lily sighed and stopped walking so that she could turn to James.

"All right, she was being rude…but that doesn't give you the excuse to irritate her even more…she's probably really sweet normally, probably just having a bad day…"

James looked down into Lily's bright eyes. He knew she was getting angry. He also knew she was right.

"I'm sorry." He finally said. "If you want we can go back and I'll apologize…"

Lily smiled slightly. James always looked so endearing when he was feeling guilty.

"It's okay…she…well, _maybe_ she deserved it."

James leaned in and cupped her head in his hands and tipped her head back as he kissed her. Lily let her hands travel to his hair and she ran her fingers through his messy black mop.

Seconds later, a cold downpour shocked them apart.

Freezing rain fell heavily all over London, and James and Lily were caught in the middle of it, a block away from Lily's flat.

"Care to run?" James asked, reaching for her hand as she nodded and they set off in a scurry.

Laughing, Lily tried to keep up with James, who was doing his best to not let his long legs leave Lily's shorter ones behind.

A few minutes later Lily stopped and James nearly tripped in his haste to halt.

Lily clutched her side and laughed into the rain.

"Cramp?" James asked, a genuine look of concern playing on his handsome features.

"Just a little one." Lily replied, smiling and breathing heavily. "Although I never thought you could get out of shape if you were never in shape to begin with."

James chuckled and just looked lovingly at Lily, her red hair was sopping wet and her long eyelashes were collecting small droplets of water.

"Care to walk slowly, then?" He suggested. "I can even transfigure us an umbrella or something…" James looked around for something he could transform, but Lily stopped him.

"No, I'm fine. I like this. Just like this." She held on to his arm and led the way home through the slowly flooding streets.

* * *

They reached Lily's flat, drenched and cold, but happy.

After fumbling with her keys, Lily opened her door to James.

"Come on in, I'll fix some tea, and we can dry off."

James smiled and walked in, letting the warm air welcome him. Lily set her purse by the door and took off her jacket before heading to her kitchen.

While she was pouring water into a kettle, two hands clapped around her eyes, shielding all light from her green eyes.

"Guess who." James whispered into her ear.

Lily felt his warm breath touch her cheek and she reached her small hand up to his, letting the kettle drop onto the counter. She pulled his hands down and turned to face him, welcoming his kiss.

James leaned into her, never letting his kisses falter as he pushed her against the counter. His hands reached around her waist before traveling up her shirt, which, until that point, had been stuck to her wet skin. His made to pull her shirt upwards and began to kiss her neck. Lily's mind was racing, but she did the only thing she could think to do, and grabbed his hands with hers.

He broke away from her instantly. "Too much?" He asked, looking at her with imploring hazel eyes. Lily said nothing, just kept her hands on his and pulled her top of her head.

James reached for her hands and kissed her softly. Lily smiled against his lips, and then guided him down the hallway and led him to her bedroom.

She went to kiss him again, but James pulled way and touched her cheek tenderly with his thumb.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice soft and husky.

Lily nodded, and continued to kiss him, pulling at his belt. James pulled off his shirt as well, wrapped his arms around Lily, and guided her to bed.

* * *

**POLL: Do you think that the current youth should get out there and start demonstrating and protesting just as the former generation of hippies had done?**

Thanks to my reviewers: KASintonia, Missing Summer, Siriusforeva, Lexy Granger, scooter5710, Heather gernenz, 1ss2cos3poa4gof5ootp6hbp, elise bentwin, grannyHPfan, White Camellia, official cheeky devil, xxxxParvati-Patilxxxx, dancergrl19, Zippy-Wings, Princess Eclpise, and glowing ice.

modeltd09: Thanks for your review! it makes me happy to know my story was actually recommended. and "highly' at that..fantastic! keep reading!

Hermione-lilypotter- Sorry, but there won't be a white wedding. I understand that those might seem more romantic…and if I thought it was realistic for my story, I would have done it like that. Thanks for reviewing!

And of course…Thanks to my beta!


	24. The Sun is Setting

**A/N: Alright! The next chapter is in! Cool. As for last chapter's poll (the hippie question)…some of you thought yes, people should protest, while others of you didn't care, and there were a few outright "no"'s…so that's cool. I think we should protest. There's a lot to protest about here in America, and I think our country is due for some major changes. As for this chapter's poll…. Do you have any bad habits that you know you shouldn't do, but can't help but do them anyways? Okay…so read, review, yadayada…**

**Chapter Twenty-Four;** **The Sun is Setting**

The first thing James Potter noticed the next morning was a warm, heavy feeling in his chest. He opened his eyes slowly to see Lola, Lily's now overweight calico cat, resting on his upper body. A small smile pressed upon his lips as he lifted his hand to pet Lola, who responded by stretching happily. James was very aware of Lily's sleeping body entangled in his as his grin broadened. So as not to wake her, he reached slowly over her to grab his glasses from the nightstand.

He spent the next quiet moments watching Lily sleep. She looked simply beautiful, her hair cascading wildly in every direction, her smooth, pastel skin illuminating in the early morning light.

Lily's green eyes opened slowly and James enjoyed watching her wake up—one eyelid opened at a time, and then a small smile formed at her lips.

"Good morning." She said in a slow, raspy voice that James found undeniably sexy. Her eyes locked with his before she asked, "Have you been up long?"

James shook his head. "Only a few minutes…I didn't mean to wake you…"

Lily smiled and admired his ruffled appearance. His hair was skewed in all directions and the sleep hadn't quite left his eyes yet. "You didn't."

"Good." He replied almost dumbly. His hand had reached for her hair and he ran his fingers through the red mess, untangling small knots as he did so. As his hand reached the back of her neck he leaned in and kissed her in a tender way.

Lily smiled against his lips and rolled on top of him, taking half the sheets with her as they became more entwined with one another.

"What time is it?" Lily whispered into James' ear.

James mumbled something along the lines of "It doesn't matter." But when he felt Lily moving to get up and check, he quickly glanced at his watch on the nightstand. "It's half past six."

Lily sighed and smiled as she looked down at James, his hands were holding her waist and they were threatening to move lower. "I could have sworn it was later…I feel so energized for it to not even be seven yet…I am not a morning person."

James smirked at her and pulled her down to him. "Not tired, Lily?" He whispered mischievously and she let out a mix of a squeal and a giggle.

* * *

It was almost seven thirty when Lily finally suggested breakfast.

"I'll make you something, anything you'd like!" James said energetically as he kissed her forehead.

Lily grinned slightly. "You don't have to…besides, you're a terrible cook."

James huffed. "Not terrible. I'll prove it to you. Now, what does your little heart desire, Schnukums? Pancakes, French toast? Eggs Benedict? Waffles?" he listed off the top of his head.

With a half smile, Lily resigned herself to James' and replied, "Some pancakes would be delicious."

"That's my girl!" James smiled as he moved to leave her bed, "Now, sausage or bacon?"

"Bacon." Lily answered as she moved to follow James. "I'll show you where the pans—"

James held up his hand to stop her from leaving the bed. "I know where they are, Schnukums! You stay here…I'll call you when I'm done."

"All right-, but please, don't burn down my kitchen. Or building, I happen to like my belongings, and I'm sure Charlotte and the Apples will agree." Lily stated, smirking as she watched James put on his boxers.

"But I want to burn down your kitchen. Hell, I want to burn down this whole side of London. Now, excuse me while I go start a grease fire." James answered coyly, winking at her before leaving the room.

Fifteen minutes later Lily couldn't stand it anymore—she kept hearing pots and pans clashing and James mutter the occasional "damn" or "shit"--- she sighed and jumped out of bed. She grabbed a bathrobe and sniffed. Good Lord, was that smoke?

As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen the smell got stronger and she could see a small hazy cloud enveloping the entire flat.

"Merlin, James!" She called through the cloud, pulling out her wand and dissipating the smoke.

She heard James laugh lightly and she finally saw his figure, waving his arm around, clearing the air and smiling.

"What did you do?" Lily asked, not sure what was so funny. "Did you put the fire out?"

James laughed. "That wasn't a fire…I found a candle…but apparently it wasn't a candle…I think it's Charlotte's…or maybe mine or Sirius'…it came from Zonko's."

"A Zonko's product?" Lily laughed. "James, you're losing touch if you were fooled by the company that got you through Hogwarts."

"I know." James replied. "I feel so old and decrepit. Quick, check…are there any gray hairs? Am I balding? My eyesight…it's blurry!"

Lily laughed and kissed him on the nose. "Do you need any help?"

He shook his head stubbornly. "I told you I'd do it, now you go sit down over in the sitting room and turn on the television and watch those mad people go on about the weather…they're never right, but then how could you expect them to be? It's not like they're wizards or anything…"

"You're too cute." Was all Lily said as she shook her head and headed to the sitting room, plopping down on the sofa.

After many minutes of anticipation, Lily was finally allowed to come to the kitchen.

"Your breakfast, my dear, is ready." James announced. Lily nodded and looked him over.

"Good, you still have your eyebrows."

"Funny."

"I know, I know." Lily smiled as James showed her to the rarely used dining room. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had to clean off an inch layer of dust. He had decorated with a vase full of lilies, which she could only assume he had transfigured from something—it was October, after all, and she didn't remember having any vases.

"This looks lovely, James." Lily complimented, kissing him softly before he pulled out her chair and motioned her to sit down.

That morning was indeed lovely. Much to Lily's surprise, the pancakes had turned out quite nicely, but, Lily told him, even if they hadn't, she would have said they were delicious anyways. The bacon was perfect, and James had even prepared a dish of strawberries.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." James said as they finished and Lily had run out of things to compliment him on.

Lily made to reach for James' empty plate when an owl swooped into the dining room, hitting the vase of lilies and causing water to spill across the white table cloth.

"Damn old bird." James swore, righting the vase and yanking the piece of parchment from the graying owl's beak. He handed the letter to Lily, "It's for you, from my mum, I suppose."

Lily recognized the old owl as the one Mrs. Potter treasured and occasionally used for relatively short trips so that the bird didn't feel useless in its retried age. She couldn't recall its name—Boris, perhaps?

James cleaned up the mess made by the morning delivery and then began to clean up the dishes as Lily read the letter.

"Your mother has invited us to an early dinner this evening. She says my parents are going to be there as well." Lily stood up and met James in the kitchen.

"Oh damn, is that today?" James asked, slightly startled. "I was supposed to tell you about that."

"So the letter says." Lily grinned slightly, stroking James' arm with her hand.

He looked endearing, standing in her kitchen with nothing but his boxers, and trying his hand at cleaning dishes. This was the man she got to spend the rest of her life with. It was a comforting thought.

"I'm going to get a shower. I've got to make something for this evening…" Lily said quietly, admiring James looking down at her.

"You don't need to make anything…if I know my mum…which I daresay I do, she'll have enough food for five Christmas' feasts."

"No, no. I've got to bring something. It's only polite." Lily argued softly and passively. "I'll make a dessert. What would you like?"

"It doesn't matter." James replied. "Anything easy."

"James, I'll use magic. It's all pretty easy. Now, what would you like?"

James smiled. "Cherry pie? I love that."

"All right, cherry pie it is." She grinned, kissing lips quickly. "Now I'm going to shower."

"Is that an open invitation?" James called out, chuckling.

Lily didn't reply.

"I take silence as a yes, Lily dear."

James left the dishcloth on the counter top and went to explore the bathroom.

* * *

Later that evening, Lily and James found themselves knocking on the Potters' door. Lily had almost walked right in the house before James had pulled her back. He insisted that his father sometimes forgot he was at home and not out on the field and could set off all sorts of jinxes and hexes towards any intruder without so much as a glance at to who the trespasser may be. So they stood together, knocking on James' former residence.

His mother answered the door, looking as happy as ever to see her son and future daughter-in-law. She hugged them both after magicking Lily's pie to the kitchen (not without a compliment to how beautiful the dessert had turned out) and then sent them to the parlor, where she informed them Lily's parents were already waiting.

James greeted Lily's parents first, giving a strong hand-shake to Patrick and a warm hug to Beverly.

"Lily, you look lovely." Beverly told her daughter, hugging her tightly. "I miss not seeing you so much, you know you should at least call once in awhile…you got that phone installed but you barely use it."

"Sorry, Mum…I just get so busy sometimes." Lily replied, knowing it was a terrible excuse for not keeping in touch with her own flesh and blood.

"Not good enough, love." Her father said as he gave her a hug.

"I'll call once a week from now on." Lily promised. "Or more, if work isn't too hectic."

Her parents smiled at her and returned to their seats on the sofa. James and Lily took a seat at the couch perpendicular to Lily's parents. Just as they sat, James' mother entered the room, looking around.

"Merlin, where is your father? He promised to come down as soon as he was done with the letter he was writing…"

"Chances are one letter turned into two or three, Mum. You know Dad when it comes to business." James responded, looking up at his mother.

His mother sighed, wringing the dishcloth in her hands. "Well dinner is ready, you all can go take your seats. I'll go get Sam."

James showed Lily and her parents to the dining room, where gigantic proportions of food were displayed. Lily thought their meal could rival one of Hogwarts.

They all sat for a moment before James' mother returned—alone.

"Sam will be down in a moment. Please, go ahead."

Half way into dinner, Sam Potter joined them, taking his seat at the head of he table and giving them all an apologetic look.

"Sorry for keeping you." He stated, beckoning the roasted chicken towards him with his wand.

"Hope everything's all right." Beverly said, noticing the tired, worried air Sam seemed to carry around with him.

"Oh, well. Matters are just grave at the moment." Sam spoke truthfully. "But we're doing are best to take care of it."

James and Lily both looked at Sam with arched brows and pursed lips, wondering what had gone wrong. Before James could question his father, Margaret Potter diverted their attention to a different topic.

"Now, Beverly, I've heard Lily has a sister." Margaret started.

"Yes, Petunia, she's a few years older than Lily." Beverly offered, ignoring Lily's blanched expression.

Margaret didn't notice an edge in the air and continued. "Ah, she's all Muggle then?"

"Yes, she was married a few months ago, actually." Lily's mother explained.

Her father tactfully engaged Sam and James into one of his favorite topics—cars.

"That Thunderbird you restored for Lily, James, was a piece of work. I'd like to ride in it sometime." Patrick conversed.

James smiled. "I'll have to talk Lily into letting you take a ride…although I'm sure you could persuade her to drive it. There's a great difference between being behind the wheel and a passenger in a car like that."

"I would imagine so." Patrick replied, grinning and then looking to the man that looked so much like James it was rather shocking. "Do you make a hobby of cars, Sam?"

Across the table, James heard Lily ask.

"Just how are The Dursleys these days, Mother?" with only the slightest amount of annoyance in her tone. James thought for sure he was the only one who picked up on Lily's current animosity.

"They are fine, Petunia's had a wonderful time setting up their house with all the proper decorations. She is so anal about some things, I think she spends half her day cleaning that house." Her mother continued. Margaret smiled and took a sip of her red wine.

James stroked Lily's hand lightly under the table as he continued to listen to Sam and Patrick's conversation.

A few minutes later, Margaret offered dessert (a choice between Lily's cherry pie and Beverly's brownies—James requested both, as did Sam and Patrick).

"This is delicious, Lily. You'll have to give me your recipe." Beverly said.

"Sure, I'll send an owl over tomorrow." Lily quipped, taking a small bite of pie.

"I'd like it too, if you don't mind, dear." Margaret added.

Lily nodded and smiled.

After the plates were cleared, the party was directed back into the parlor, but James excused both he and Lily to take a walk around the manor. Both sets of parents readily released their children, and moments later James and Lily found themselves outside, walking in the chilly but refreshing October air. Lily wrapped her cloak tighter against the wind and admired the setting red sun and brown and golden leaves illuminating in the light from their piles on the dead ground.

James draped his arm over Lily's shoulders and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.

Lily smiled and wrapped her arm around James' waist as they walked.

"I get the feeling our parents wanted us to leave." Lily said.

James nodded. "I think they're discussing our wedding present."

"What makes you think that?" Lily asked, looking up at him with her green eyes.

"My mother had her 'present face' on…the one she gets around Christmas and my birthday…when she's either finished buying my presents or wrapping them…"

"She looked the same to me." Lily said matter-of-factly.

"To you she would…but don't worry, you'll pick up on it." James smiled, kissing the top of her head.

They walked at a comfortable pace through the fields of Potter Manor. Occasionally Lily would remark on the beauty of the trees and the simple nature, and James would provide her with the history of what ever she had pointed out.

"Care to sit for a moment?" James asked her as they reached a small pond. "The water is going to look bloody brilliant against the sunset."

Lily grinned and nodded, taking a seat next to James.

"So what do you think our parents are getting us?" Lily asked playfully, leaning her head on James shoulder and intertwining her hands with his.

"I don't know…" he pondered. "I was thinking about….but no, I don't think they would, not yet at least."

Lily studied his profile in the dimming light. "What?"

"I was thinking, well. I know this estate is endowed to me; I'm the only heir. But I don't think…I don't know, my Dad is just acting so strangely lately. I hope they aren't giving the estate up as a wedding present." James rambled as he thought. "No, they know we've bought a house…"

James' words stopped as Lily placed her lips on his and kissed him. He smiled and responded appropriately, letting his arm catch Lily's back as she leaned towards the ground, allowing James to hover over her, just kissing her.

James was a great snog. Lily had decided that long ago. But it always surprised her how he treated kissing like an art. He could kiss for hours and not push any further. Just snogging. Letting his lips travel around her jaw bone and nibble at her ear…creating that delightful ticklish feeling that always left Lily wanting him more.

She knew he got as much pleasure from this exercise as she did. She knew that he liked the way that she could move her lips across his neck and leave traces of her hot breath seeping into the pores of his skin.

James finally broke away for air, smiling down at Lily, whose lips were slightly swollen. She grinned back at him, waiting for him to say something, or better, _do_ something.

"You're very pretty." He said finally, breathing heavily.

"I know." Lily replied with a smirk. James smiled and pulled away, kneeling beside her, stroking her fingers.

He suddenly looked very contemplative, and Lily sat up, wondering what had come over him so quickly.

"There was something else I needed to talk to you about." James started, almost in a whisper.

Lily huddled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, looked up at him, and smiled. "What about?" she replied in a playful voice as she kissed his cheek.

James sighed and let his smile slip off his face. "It's serious."

The change in mood seemed to finally have hit Lily, and she held his hand tighter. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I've been talking with Mad-Eye, and he's been stressing with us…Aurors are becoming more and more scarce lately…either being killed, injured, or just quitting because they couldn't handle it anymore. Dawes had to go on "a much needed vacation", which is just Ministry lingo for something terribly wrong…Imperius probably…"

"I know things are rough now, James." Lily interrupted. I've been filing the cases for Madam Bones, it seems like every week we have a least one file coming in…a murder, Muggle terrorism…but you've just got to look above it. This will pass, the Ministry and Dumbledore—The Order--- are all going after Voldemort and his Death Eaters…things will get better."

"Damn it, Lily, I'm not telling you my training is getting to me, that these dark times are bothering me…I'm _trying_ to tell you that Moody has asked me to join the Aurors." James snapped.

Even in the increasing darkness, he could see the color drain from Lily's face.

"What?" Lily asked. "He can't do that, you haven't even come close to finishing your training!"

"I wouldn't be a full-fledged Auror. It would count towards my training…"

Lily let out a dry laugh. "Oh that's fair. We're not going to call you an Auror, we're just going to work you like one, let you die like one…"

"I'm in the Elite program, Lily. I'm not completely incompetent." James retorted, shaking his head, pulling at the grass with his fingers.

"I don't think you're incompetent, James." Lily said in a soft tone. "I just wasn't ready to let you go out there yet. I thought we'd at least have a few more months of being safe…"

"Nothing's safe anymore, Lily. Don't try to live in a illusion." James said, in an equally soft voice. "And Moody said it won't be a full time thing. I'll still go to training, it's just when the Aurors need help, they'll call on me. I go tomorrow to get my contactor."

"I know you'll do amazing." She said, with as much confidence she could put into her voice. "You're the most brilliant person I've ever met." Lily knew it was important for her to support James now; he needed to know that she had faith in him.

He was silent, but Lily could see a small smile forming on his thin lips. Lily moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him in a warm embrace. His head buried in her chest as he whispered, "I love you."

* * *

**Don't forget to answer the poll: Do you have any bad habits that you know you shouldn't do, but can't help but do them anyways?**

**Thanks to my reviewers: I-ARE-COOL, Hermione-Lilypotter1234, WhiteCamellia, Heather Gernenz, glowing-ice, dancergrl19, modeltd09, Princess Eclpise, Missing Summer, x-The-Skittles-Alchemistx, Official Cheeky Devil, granny hpfan, xxxxParvati-Patilxxxx, and luv24+Alias**

**TigerLily2217- The story will speed up soon…I'm working on it…the marriage will be here before you know it! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Delilah Evans- Lily won't get pregnant for another year or so. Harry was conceived around Halloween 1979. It's still 1978.**


	25. Early November

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. This is the last time I post before I'm in college. I don't know how often I'll be able to write and post once classes start, but I'll try my best to be somewhat punctual. As for last chapter's poll...a lot of you bite your nails. And there were a few smokers, bad eaters, and procrastionaters too. I procrastinate a lot...one of my bad habits is smoking clove cigarettes. The smell good, taste good, and kill you. As for this chapter's poll...What's your favorite joke? Yeah. so read, review, and answer the poll. Thanks!**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Early November**

Hog's Head was a place that was usually full of suspicious looking characters. The colder weather and damp air had come with November and the number of odd patrons to the dirty, dark bar seemed to have tripled. It was crowded and noisy—the perfect environment for the meeting about to start in the smoky corner.

Two figures sat side by side at one of the tables in the back. One of the cloaked figures was smoking. The other was checking his watch and sighing.

Two more cloaked figures approached the table.

"You're late." Said the man checking his watch.

The taller of the two men spoke. "Sorry, it proved a bit more difficult to leave the castle than we originally thought. Dumbledore was keeping an eye on us."

The man smoking put out his cigarette on the table. "Well sit, we don't have all night."

"What has been going on?" The shorter of the visitors said as he took a seat next to his companion.

"Nothing that concerns you, Malfoy." The time-watching man said.

"Oh sod off, Severus. You act like you're superior." Malfoy said snidely. "What are you two? The Dark Lord's messenger service? My brother Lucius is closer to Him than either of you could ever be. _So don't talk down to me_, got it?" He continued, venom leaking through his voice.

He smiled cheekily and then looked at the other man. "And MacNair, what are you doing here? Didn't you have a case against the Wizengmot coming up? I didn't think the Dark Lord would trust you after that last mistake under your watch…"

The man called MacNair glared at the boy in front of him.

"This business actually has very little to do with you, Marlon." Snape started, talking with his typical murderous tone. " The Dark Lord just thought it would be an advantageous move to have you come. He likes to check in on his young followers, make sure they're coming up to par…he'd hate to have a insufficient supporter and keeps a closer eye on the two of you—as well as others—than you'd care to know. Now, we have news for Black."

The taller of the two visitors nodded. "From the Dark Lord?"

"Of course." Snape answered, taking a sip from his glass. It looked like it had never been washed, and Marlon Malfoy looked more than a little disgusted. "He thinks you are ready."

"Regulus, but not me?" Marlon stated, appalled. "I'll have him know that my family and myself have shown more loya—"

"Enough!" MacNair growled, slamming his fist on the table.

"The Black family is just as pure as the Malfoy family, and if I do say so myself, they're interest in the Dark Arts greatly exceeds that of yours, Marlon. Despite that blood-traitor of a brother of yours, Regulus." Snape continued.

Regulus, who shared the same handsome aristocratic features as Sirius—although quite a bit paler, nodded. "It's all right—my mother disowned him long ago. Now, what is this of the Dark Lord?"

"He thinks you are ready to join him—that is, if you can leave Hogwarts…" Snape stated, looking into Regulus' gray eyes.

"I can leave. An education under Dumbledore is nothing when being taken under the Dark Lord's wing." Regulus replied, without much thought or emotion.

Snape sneered. "I assured Him of your willingness, but this news will delight him."

MacNair passed a slip of paper across the table to Regulus. "Don't let anyone—"he looked at Malfoy. "--see that paper. It's the address. Meet there tonight—11 o'clock. You can apparate?"

Regulus nodded.

"Good, burn that parchment as soon as you memorize the details." MacNair finished. "See you then."

"Lay low and you'll be getting your invitation soon, Malfoy." Snape said, getting up to leave and letting MacNair follow him, leaving the boys at the table as they exited that bar.

X

"Sirius, please, let's not go in there…it's so filthy." Charlotte said to her boyfriend as she held on to his hand.

Sirius smirked down at her with his usual rueful grin. His hair was starting to get a bit long and it fell into his gray eyes.

"All right, love, I'll do whatever you want, I'm at your disposal."

Just as Charlotte was about to reply, a passerby ran into her shoulder, sending a sharp pain throughout her side. "Ouch!"

"Hey, watch it there!" Sirius shouted at the assaulter, who was walking speedily away with his companion.

Sirius went to make sure Charlotte was all right, when the two men turned around.

"Black? Is that you?" one voice called out, trickling with dislike.

Sirius looked up and came face to face with his old enemy.

"Snivellus. I didn't know you went outdoors." He greeted stiffly, clutching Charlotte's arm protectively with his left arm while his right went to his wand.

"And I'm surprised you're not in Azkaban yet." Snape replied, sneering at him, and then moving his attention to Charlotte.

"Surprised I'm not in Azkaban? Why Snivelly, I could say the same for you!" Sirius retorted, glaring at Snape and his friend. "You two out on Death Eater duty or are you gay now, Snivellus? I can't say I didn't see it coming…oh don't look at me like that…there's nothing wrong with it…"

Snape ignored him and focused on Charlotte.

"Who are you?" He asked in a domineering voice.

Before Charlotte could reply Sirius cut in. "That's none of your business." Sirius put his arm around Charlotte and puffed out his chest proudly. "Now if you don't mind, we've got places to be."

Snape let out a dry laugh, but MacNair looked anything but amused.

"Sirius Black…protective over a girl? And here I was thinking the rumors were true…that you were actually a slightly more than mediocre Auror-in-Training. But you're just as weak as ever."

"Caring about someone doesn't make you weak. It makes you compassionate… a better, stronger person. Although I doubt you know anything about that."

Snape's face fell slightly as his eyes bore into Charlotte's hazel eyes that looked vaguely familiar. "And just who are you? Another one of Black's little flings? They always think they're worth more than they are…they never see that he never really sees anything in them."

Sirius Black was never one to let the ones he loved be insulted…especially by Severus Snape. That's why he suddenly found himself lunging towards Snape, grabbing the front of his robes and pressing his own wand sharply into the center of his pallid throat.

"Say anything else, Snivelly, and I'll hex you and your friend into the next life." Sirius whispered viciously through clenched teeth.

The said friend, however, had his wand out now as well. Snape surprised Sirius by waving it down and letting out another laugh.

"Black, you need to learn to watch your tongue, or better, your back. There are _certain friends _of mine that find blood traitors like you---and your girlfriend, I suspect---very _bothersome_. They wouldn't mind paying you a visit...or her a visit…if things got…out of hand." Snape said, gasping towards the end of his speech as Sirius withdrew his wand and released the front of his robes.

"Don't you…or the people you hide behind, Snape, touch her, because the rumors you have heard are true. I am a very powerful wizard, and unlike most people…I don't have limits."

With his words, Sirius grabbed Charlotte's hand and pushed his way through Snape and MacNair, just missing his brother and Malfoy exiting the bar and meeting their previous visitors.

"My dear brother causing problems again, Severus?" Regulus asked, looking pointedly at his retreating kin.

"Black is nothing to worry about. He'll get his soon enough." Snape said quietly. "You better get back to school and collect your things. The Dark Lord is awaiting you, and mind, he is not a patient man."

Regulus nodded and made his way back to the castle, Marlon Malfoy tailing him.

X

"How many of these things to go through?" James asked tiredly. He and Lily had been working on their wedding invitations for the past hour. Or rather, Lily was addressing them, and James was flicking his wand and putting them into their envelopes.

"Only seven more to go." Lily said patiently as she reached across James' dining room table for another invitation.

"I don't see why we can't send magical invitations to your Muggle relatives…it's so much faster…" James commented for the fifth time that evening.

Lily sighed. The magical ones were indeed quicker to prepare and mail out…a few flicks from her wand and a trip to the owlery and they were done. "They won't understand why an owl is delivering them a piece of parchment, James. They'd probably freak out…" she repeated for the fifth time.

"I know, I know." James said. "I just didn't think we were inviting this many people."

"Most of my family won't come…these are more like announcements, to be polite." Lily conversed. "We're not a very close-knit family." She grinned at James as he sighed again.

James caught her eye. "I'll try to look on the bright side of things."

"That's a good idea." Lily responded, going back to the invitations.

"At least I'm marrying you. Imagine if I was marrying someone else. This wouldn't be nearly as amusing."

"I sure hope you're not being sarcastic James Potter." Lily replied, not even looking up from her work.

"I'm not…imagine if I was with, say…Chloe Marble, from Hogwarts. This would be absolute torture."

"Was that the girl with the cleft foot and lisp? A year ahead of us? She had that weird obsession with prehistoric dragons…" Lily asked, looking mildly amused as she caught James' eye.

"Why yes. She was a bore to talk to…and spit would always get on your face if you got too close."

Lily let out a small laugh that lightened up the droll mood. "Well I'll look on the bright side too. I could be doing this with Gilderoy Lockheart."

James grinned happily at her and was about to speak when his eyes bulged slightly.

Lily was beginning to know that look, and she sighed as his hand moved down to his cloak pocket. He pulled out a small device that Lily still hadn't managed to figure out how it worked. It made sense to James however, and he looked at her with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry…but I've got to go…there's been a slew of Muggle attacks." James stood up from the table and brushed off his robes. He leaned in and kissed Lily quickly. "I'll be back later tonight…if you'll wait for me…"

Lily nodded. "I'll be here. Be careful, James."

"I really am sorry. I do want to help you with the rest of those…I was only joking." James continued as he made sure his wand was in place.

"I know. Just go do what you have to do, and mind, don't get yourself killed. I'm keen on having a wedding…and contrary to popular belief, I wouldn't rather marry Gilderoy."

James smiled and kissed her once more. "I'll be back sooner than you think. Love you."

And with that, he was out the door.

Lily sighed and looked down at the almost finished invitations. It had been almost three weeks since James had received his contactor. This was the third time this week James had been called out. Two days ago he had been called before the previous Order meeting. James had informed Dumbledore of his position, who was very encouraging…having James with the Aurors would be good for the Order. The first time that week they had been getting ready to go to Lily's parents for dinner. And although she resented having to be in Petunia and Vernon's company without someone to keep the atmosphere civil, she was more irked by the fact that when she had explained James' absence as being 'work-related' her parents had commended him on his willfulness and hard-working attitude. Sirius was till patting James on the back every chance he got. Even James' parents, though wary, were proud and encouraging. Everyone seemed to feel that James' new position was a good idea, but she had still to get used to that thought. She didn't see why the Aurors needed to take her James from her so early…and she knew she was being selfish. She let out another sigh and went to finish the invitations before deciding to tackle the mound of paper work she could do for work. It had been lucky she had brought her things for the next day.

X

Lily awoke the next morning to find James' strong arms wrapped around her. She turned around carefully to face him, to make sure he was really there and it wasn't some extension of a dream. James' face was peaceful; he inhaled softly and then exhaled. He always slept with his mouth closed, Lily had discovered. She, on the other hand, slept with hers open most of the time…and sometimes she drooled. She smiled at the sleeping figure, and looked to see what time it was. Five forty-four. The alarm was going to go off in a matter of seconds. Lily groaned, and she felt more than a little sorry for James. He was about to be woken up, and he still looked exhausted. What time had he gotten in last night? She hadn't heard him come to bed.

The shock of the alarm awoke James, and his arms immediately left Lily as he sat upright. He turned to look around the room, an anxious expression worn on his face. He caught sight of Lily and smiled.

"Oh. The clock." He said, yawning and rubbing his eyes before reaching for his glasses on his nightstand.

Lily studied him carefully. He looked rather frazzled. James rarely appeared anything but calm and confident. "Are you okay?"

James turned to Lily and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. And nice pajamas, by the way. They look absolutely lovely on you."

Lily blushed slightly. She hadn't brought her own pajamas because she had assumed she wasn't going to be wearing any. With James' absence however, she had decided to pick out one of James' shirts and a pair of his old pajama bottoms.

"I hope you don't mind…I didn't have any…"

James shook his head and kissed her forehead. "Of course I don't mind." He gazed into Lily's eyes for a moment and Lily smiled at him. James grinned back and then surprised her by giving her a warm, loving embrace.

"Was it bad?" Lily questioned timidly as she caressed his back.

She felt James nod into her shoulder. "Yes, there were a group of Death Eaters going on a Muggle-killing spree…we had to chase them down…three houses completely demolished before we could catch up to them. Three families murdered by the time we caught them in Burnby Village. Even the children…"

Lily hugged him tighter and he did the same. When they broke apart Lily stroked his hair softly and let her hand rest on his cheek.

"Did you catch anyone?"

James sighed. "We got one, I'm sure it'll be in the papers today. Victor Crandall. Two got away, though…"

"Chances are I'll be doing his legal work today." Lily replied. "I better get ready…let me make you something for breakfast…do you have to go in today?"

James nodded. "Yes, but Mad-Eye said I could come in a little late if I needed to…"

"Well get some rest then. I'll make you something before I go…are you going to be up for meeting Allison and Jacob for dinner? If you're not it's fine…I think you'd be better off resting."

"I'll go…we haven't seen them in awhile…and Allison's been wanting to go on a double dinner date forever."

"Yes, but another day wouldn't hurt." Lily retorted as she hopped out of bed.

James stared at her and gave her a loving grin that showed all of his teeth. "It'll be fine, Lily."

"If you say so." Lily replied as she rummaged through her bag to get her toiletries. "Get some rest."

X

Lily had a busy day at work; the paperwork seemed to form skyscrapers around her every time she blinked, which she found slightly ridiculous seeing as it was almost impossible for the Ministry to actually convict anyone. It was getting frustrating. The time, the effort, the workload…two people had quit in the last month. Lily wasn't planning on quitting anytime soon, however. She still felt like she was making a difference and Madam Bones really appreciated her work. The fact that she had priceless resources to research some of the people Dumbledore would request information on didn't hurt either.

At seven thirty James knocked at her door. Lily let him in, and together they set off for The Three Broomsticks, where they were going to meet Jacob and Allison for dinner.

"James, are you sure you're feeling quite all right? You don't look---" Lily started as they walked into the pub.

"I'm fine." James replied, cutting her off. "Believe me, Lily."

He gave her a reassuring grin and let his hand move to the small of her back, guiding her to the table where an ecstatic Allison and a smiling Jacob greeted them. Allison immediately embraced Lily, after exclaiming just how excited she was to see her old friend.

Jacob and James exchanged a firm handshake and took their seats. Their girlfriends giggled and chatted amicably for a few minutes before Madam Rosmerta appeared, asking for their orders.

Once the familiar barmaid had disappeared with their requests, Allison felt it necessary to start a proper conversation.

"How many months till the wedding now?" she asked the couple sitting across from her in the booth, rather redundantly. It's not like she didn't know their wedding was on the ninth of January.

"About two." James said with a content glimmer in his eye. "Mailed off the invitations just today…"

Allison smiled. "Everything planned and in order? I know how anal Lily's organization skills are."

"We've taken care of just about everything." Lily replied easily. "The only thing we have to---"

"Is the house." James interrupted, smiling slightly and giving Lily a look. "Lily won't let me in though."

Jacob laughed for the first time that evening. Until that moment he had been shifting rather uncomfortably in his seat.

"Not even married yet and she's kicked you out!"

James shared an appreciative chuckle, to which Allison joined in on, Lily merely gave James a pointed look.

"I am working on the inside…you aren't allowed in until I'm finished." She had been for the last few months, collecting furniture for their new house and stowing it away inside the quaint house. To James' dismay, she had put just about every charm she could think of to keep him from investigating. She often wondered if James hadn't found a way around the enchantments…here she was, trying to keep the chief Marauder out of his own house. She let out a small sigh that didn't go unnoticed.

Her fiancé grinned at her and touched her shoulder lightly as their food appeared. "I can't wait to see it."

They passed the next few minutes with their attention focused primarily on their food, but finally Allison initiated conversation again.

"The next Hogsmeade trip is in a few weeks, Lily. I got a letter from Ellie…she would like us to meet up with her."

"That sounds great!" Lily said happily after she finished taking a sip of her water. "I haven't seen her in ages…I've written a few letters…but I'm so busy…"

"I know what you mean." Allison replied. "The stories never stop at the Prophet."

"Well the news is always changing." Jacob added with a slight edge in his voice. His dark features suddenly looked wary.

Allison chose to ignore his comment and continued eating. James exchanged a glance with Lily and made to change the subject when a friendly face appeared in front of them.

"Sirius!" Allison exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in forever!" She jumped out of her seat and enveloped him in a hug.

Sirius smug features looked amused when she released him. "Merlin, Prewitt, I never thought you enjoyed my company that much."

He grinned and took a sip from the mug of mead in his hand. "So what brings you all down here? I didn't know you had a date tonight, Jamesie."

"Sorry, didn't see you this morning. Reckon you and Charlotte could've come." James answered him easily.

"Yeah, next time, I suppose. Well I better be off, Dumbledore wanted to see me for something. Can't imagine what, unless he secretly thinks I'm responsible for the exploding toilets in Derbyshire." Sirius winked at Lily as he saw her lips start to move. "Only joking, Lily…I'll see you all later."

James nodded and took a sip of his drink and waved at his friend.

The rest of the evening passed unusually slow, and both James and Lily were eager to leave. Once they were at Lily's flat, she shared what was on her mind.

"Did Allison and Jacob seem rather…" she paused as she searched for the word.

James supplied one for her. "Strained?"

Lily nodded.

"Yeah, they did…a bit edgy. Maybe Jacob just had a rough day." He offered as he took off his cloak.

"I hope that was it." Lily said, her eyebrows knitted together with worry.

"I'm sure they'll be all right." James assured her, bringing her into a hug.

He kissed her forehead, and Lily smiled and kissed his lips lightly. "I'll make some tea for us."

"That sounds lovely." James responded, letting her go and watching her walk into the kitchen. He silently thanked Merlin that she was his, and that for the moment, they were safe and happy.

X

**Remember to answer the poll...What's your favorite joke?**

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**

**Hermione-Lilypotter1234, becky6, modeltd09, heathergernenz, xxxparavati-patilxxxx, baybe-of-the-beach, Zippy-Wings, officalcheekydevil, luv24+alias, whitecamellia, lexy granger, x-the-skittles-alchemist-x, grannyhpfan, elise bentwin, missing summer, I-are-cool, dancergrl19**

**And of course, thanks to my beta!**


	26. Nightmares Aren't Reality

**A/N: I'm SORRY! SORRY! SOOO SORRY! That I haven't posted in FOREVER. Really, I am. I feel guilty. I've just been preoccupied with college and stuff. I really AM. I promise the next chapter will be way sooner. Like in the next month. PROMISE. Okay. So now that we have that clear. On to the poll. If you could be all-knowing in one thing, what would you want to know? My beta would like to know all the languages. I'm not sure what I'd want to know. There's so much to chose from. So read and review, please. And answer the poll!**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Nightmares Aren't Reality**

The darkness enveloped the room. It was quiet…an unnatural calm in the middle of the night. There weren't even any old-house noises to give it a haunting feel. No creaking floor boards or rusty pipes giving hollow sounds. James let out a breath. He was alone. It was cold, and all around him he could feel the impending disaster that was bound to find him. James turned about the room as he heard the quick swishing of a cloak. Someone was in the room. Ever alert, his right hand tightened around his wand as he glanced around in the blackness. It was impossible to make anything and he began to sweat with nervousness. He hated being like this---stranded and waiting like a mouse in a trap…this couldn't end nicely.

All of a sudden the room illuminated and James' eyes were shocked into adjusting to the brightness. Three hooded figures in black robes were staring at him. _Death Eaters_. Where had they come from? How did he not at least feel their presence? The man standing in the middle smiled menacingly as he pulled off his hood. There was no mistaking the black greasy hair.

"Snape!" James shouted, holding his wand up.

Severus Snape sneered at James with his cold black eyes. "Potter, Potter, Potter…I thought Dumbledore would have told you never to attempt missions alone. It just takes one mistake and something bad could happen…something tragic…"

"What have you done with Lily?" James demanded, his voice sharp and quavering at the same time. The panic had really hit him now…Lily was missing and there was no one to help him.

Snape let out a hollow laugh and his two hooded companions joined him with their own cruel snickers.

"Where is she?" James shouted, his whole body trembling with intense emotion. It was taking all his inner strength to keep from foolishly attacking them. It was three on one, after all.

"She's right here." Snape said lightly, stepping back and to the side to reveal a body, limp and still on the ground.

James made to rush to her, but the two unidentified wizards pulled out their wands. Snape laughed again.

"Not too fast Potter…wouldn't want to do anything rash would you? Because now you know whose life is on the line."

James glared at Severus Snape with the utmost loathing. He pulled out his wand and made to curse Snape and his friends with the most horrifying curse he could muster.

"Avada Kevadra!" he shouted, clutching his wand and sending the spell, his arm tingling with the sensation of the green death-light.

Snape merely smiled and with almost inhuman speed ducked, and to James' horror, his curse hit the lifeless Lily on the cold floor.

James' blood ran cold and the color visibly drained from his face. He had done it. He had killed Lily. His Lily. The one person that he was supposed to protect…

* * *

"James? James?"

James jerked upright. His naked body was cold and drenched with sweat.

"James, are you quite all right? You look so clammy…you're trembling."

"Lily?" James replied, his voice faint and disbelieving.

"Well who else would be here with you in bed?" Lily asked, looking at James with concern.

James' hazel eyes looked at her as though he had never seen before. He studied her for a moment before wrapping his arms around her, bringing her red hair to his face and taking in the smell as he held her.

Lily wasn't quite sure what was wrong but returned the embrace whole-heartedly.

"I thought you were dead. I thought I had killed you…" James whispered in a low tone that sounded akin to the soft hum of a swarm of bees.

"What? No, James, I'm right here. With you, alive. One-hundred percent alive. You can even take my pulse if you'd like." She grinned and she could feel the heat returning to James body.

"I'm sorry. I never want to hurt you, ever." James kept repeating, holding his Lily tightly.

"James, let me fix us some tea and you can tell me all about your dream. It'll help you go to sleep. You've got to work first thing in the morning…you need your rest."

He nodded and released her carefully before grabbing his pants and following her to the kitchen.

An hour later and James was finally sleeping restfully in Lily's bed. She watched him with her loving green eyes as he slept, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. She was really starting to worry about her fiancé. The strain of training and joining the Aurors was eating away at him. He was becoming more and more stressed, and she was wondering when he was finally going to crack from the pressure. She had started hinting at him to take things slower, but he hadn't listened very well, like she expected. James had never been one to back down from his responsibilities, especially with a war waging on and civilization at the brink of destruction. The most she could hope for was that he would find a nice balance. She didn't know that she was what kept him going, what kept him from breaking down when things got too hard—although she had her suspicions.

* * *

"Pass me that cloth, Sirius." Lily asked the young man standing in the room with her who was currently turning about and inspecting his surroundings.

"What?"

"Pass the cloth." She said pointing to the corner where a cloth lay.

Sirius looked at her dumbly.

"Oh never mind." Lily resigned, going for the cloth herself.

"That rag?" Sirius asked. "Why didn't you just summon it?"

"I don't have my wand on me at the second."

"You should always carry your wand with you, it's not safe not to."

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "I know Sirius…it's just not the most comfortable thing to have it in my back pocket, jabbing my arse."

"I didn't think you minded a little jab in the arse." Sirius retorted, winking at her.

"I didn't think you did either."

Sirius laughed and patted Lily on the back.

"Well I think that does it for this room…"

"The furniture hasn't even been arranged yet, Sirius." Lily stated reaching for her wand and motioning for the sofa to get into alignment. "Now that's it for the sitting room…shall we hit the dining room next? We can polish the oak."

"I suppose." Sirius replied, starting to wonder why he had promised Lily that he would help her arrange the new house as a surprise for James.

"Don't want to overexert yourself with excitement or anything. I know how delicate you are." Lily retorted, her words laced with her usual sarcasm.

Sirius sighed. "Don't worry about me, love, I do believe I'll make it…"

Lily let out a light laugh as she checked her watch. "Damn. I've got to go meet Ellie and Allison for an early dinner…Ellie has a Hogsmeade day today. I really wanted to get this done today…James is getting so impatient." She sighed. "It'll be nice to see Ellie, though."

"You know." Sirius started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wouldn't mind finishing up the sitting room for you---and don't worry, I won't make a mess of it, I remember exactly how you wanted it set up."

"Oh Sirius, you'd do that?" Lily asked happily. "I'd really appreciate it—are you sure? I know it's had to have been pure torture working with me on this house—I know how anal I can be."

Sirius shrugged. "It's fine. I love helping you and James out. It's no problem—I don't have anything else to do until later tonight anyways. I'm going to meet Moony and Wormtail for mead."

"Well thank-you!" Lily exclaimed, giving Sirius an appreciate embrace. "James is going to love it."

"I know." Sirius replied, grinning his usual handsome smile. (revise- you can't grin a smile) "Now go. I'll take care of everything."

"And don't forget the charms!" Lily called out before she left. "You remember them?"

"Oh charms? What are you talking about? You couldn't possibly be speaking of those million spells you cast compulsively every five seconds, could you? Are those what you're talking about…I'm—"

"I get it, Sirius. Just do them, please."

"All right, keep your robe on. I will. Now have a good time and don't worry about anything."

"Thank-you." Lily finished before finally leaving him to his own devices.

* * *

"Lily!" a shrill, excited voice exclaimed loudly, directing previously engaged witches and wizards to the bombarded red-head that walked into The Three Broomsticks.

"Ellie!" she replied, smiling as she embraced her old friend before taking a seat across from her at the old oak table. "Allison's not here yet?"

"No, she'll be a few minutes late, she sent an owl this morning." Ellie answered, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

Lily nodded. "Oh. Well, how have you been then? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"That's because you haven't, you busy prude." Ellie retorted sharply, a brilliant smile still plastered on her pretty face.

"I am sorry about that." Lily apologized. "Everything is happening and changing so fast. I just get carried away."

"Well I'm sure if I was engaged to a handsome, brilliant, and wealthy man I wouldn't pay attention much to my friends either." Ellie grinned in her wicked fashion.

"Slag." Lily teased.

Ellie stuck out her tongue. "Don't pretend he isn't the thing that keeps you so occupied."

Lily thought for a moment. "Well he is a big part of it, but there's work you know. And the war going on and what not… lots of stuff happening and things to keep up with."

"Yeah, I know all about that---the Prophet won't let anyone forget." Ellie said sourly as Madam Rosmerta approached the table.

"Just a butterbeer for me, Rosmerta." Lily ordered, giving the barmaid a small smile before they both went back to their previous activity.

"Well it has gotten quite terrible. People are disappearing left and right, and you don't know who to trust anymore." Lily continued as Allison approached them, waving and smiling brilliantly.

"Hello my dears!" she exclaimed, her awkward angle and outstretched arms demanding hugs from both Lily and Ellie.

"I have missed you so much, Ellie! You'll have to tell me all about your year---I know I know, I get your letters and Jake talks about you all the time, but letters don't allow for much girly detail."

"Not much has changed." Ellie responded, pulling a dark lock of hair out from behind her ear and twirling it around her index finger.

"No boyfriend?" Allison prodded, raising her blonde eyebrows.

"No, I'm single and unattached---it feels nice, actually." Ellie said as Madam Rosmerta sent a round of butterbeers for the girls. "I've been so on and off with guys for the past year or so…and it's just relieving really to be independent. No one latching on to me…sucking the life out from me…"

"You talk about boyfriends like they're leeches." Lily commented, laughing.

"They can be. I know what you're talking about, Ellie. Always wanting and needing more---needing to know what you're doing…" Allison agreed.

Ellie nodded with a chuckle. "Jake wearing you out much?"

Allison sighed. "Oh you know how it is…relationships just take so much time. It's nice to have the companionship, though."

Lily stared down into her fresh mug of butterbeer. She considered herself really lucky to have James---he never felt like some sort of parasite. She always enjoyed his company and never got tired of him the way Allison and Ellie were describing. Lily smiled to herself and zoned back into Allison and Ellie's conversation. They had changed topics and Lily was trying desperately to figure out exactly what they were talking about before they asked for her oblivious opinion.

"Anything interesting going on at old Hogwarts?" Lily heard Allison change the subject.

Ellie shifted slightly. "Well yes, but I thought you two would have already known about it."

"What's happened?" Lily asked, her interest peaked by Ellie's information.

"Yes, what? You can't expect us to keep up with all that school gossip now that we're out in the real world…" Allison commented said in her shrewish voice.

"Well…I can't believe you haven't heard, really." Ellie hesitated. "Regulus Black has left school. He's been missing since Halloween night…the rumor is that he's finally joined You-Know-Who." She finished in a whisper.

Lily's green eyes bulged. "What? Wait! Does Sirius know?"

Ellie shrugged. "I would assume so, although Dumbledore is trying to keep it as hush-hush as possible. He doesn't want it to seem glamorized…running off in the middle of the night to join a conquest with the Dark Lord…"

"Oh, don't act so surprised Lily…we all knew Sirius was the only good seed in a basket of bad apples. It was only a matter of time before Regulus joined up with You-Know-Who. That whole family is so deep into Dark Magic…" Allison stated airily, dismissing the news like it was only a topic of a early snowstorm. "So, shopping?" she suggested, smiling excitedly. "I haven't had time to shop for ages…"

"Allison, you were saying that you just bought that pink cloak just this past week." Lily commented, laughing as she took another drink from her half-full glass, contemplating the news. Did Sirius know? Did James know? They would both be furious if they knew…

"A week without shopping!" Ellie exclaimed, laughing. "Let's go!"

Lily got up reluctantly and followed her friends out, Sirius and Regulus at the back of her mind.

* * *

Lily returned to her flat later that night after a day full of girlish gossip and shopping. It had been a fun outing with her old friends. The good company made it easy to pretend the bad times were only illusions…that the world was still a happy place to be.

She smiled to herself as she took off her shoes and cloak and went to the kitchen to fix a cup of tea. She had the house to herself tonight…it was going to be nice to relax…

Someone had other plans.

A banging came to Lily's door that startled her from her daze. She felt her stomach leap into her throat at her excitement. Who would be calling? She wasn't expecting anyone.

Lily grabbed her wand and opened the door cautiously.

Standing in front of her was a ruffled and anxious looking James.

"James, is everything okay?" she asked, relieved that it wasn't anyone dangerous, but a new nervousness settled into her heart.

He shook his head frantically. "Sirius is gone."

* * *

**Don't forget to answer the poll: If you could be all knowing in one area, what would it be?**

**AND REVIEW! Thank you! And Happy early Holidays!**

**And thank you to all my reviewers. I'd thank you all individually, but that takes time and I really want to post this. Just know I love you. All of you. :)**


	27. The First Encounter

**A/N: Hey guys! I tried to write and post it as quickly as possible. I'd have to say it's one of my favorite chapters. And how about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out July 21st? I'm excited…and I'm going to try to finish this story by then. I know, I've got a ways to go, but if I can set a deadline for myself I can hope to get things done. Well, enjoy this chapter! The poll: Is Valentine's Day overrated?**

**And as for the last chapter's poll: I was suprised that people had different things for the most part. The ability to be all knowing in guys would be really helpful! As well as math, talking to horses (i'd like to be able to talk to my cats, haha), history of the different countries (that would be really helpful), people in general, scinetifical information, the ability to protect your family as a seer (i think that would be good too..i just had a dream my twin died..terrified me), and of course, magic!**

**As for a recap for last chapter: James dreamed of losing Lily, Lily and Sirius finished decorating Lily and James' house, Lily met with her friends, and Sirius disappeared!**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The First Encounter**

"What do you mean, he's gone?" Lily asked, her face whitening under the sudden terror James' words produced.

James threw his hands in the air. "He didn't come home---Remus said he was supposed to meet him for a drink but that he never showed…Remus is off checking his underground sources for any information on where Sirius could be…" James' voice was higher than usual and he was as panicked as Lily had ever seen him.

Lily put her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "It'll be all right, James. Let's go."

"Go where?" James asked, releasing his grip around his fiancé.

"To Dumbledore. He probably knows something—and then, I'm sure, we'll be going to Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" James' face contorted---it had been his first guess, and his worst fear. He decided that he needed to pull himself together. What good is his Auror training if he couldn't save his best friend? "All right, let's go."

He prepared to apparate when Lily grabbed onto his arm.

She started to explain, trying to be calm but feeling anxious all the same. "James, they could be tracking---"

"If they have Sirius they already know we're coming." And with his words, he grinned nervously and sucked in a breath. "Ready? Go to the Hog's Head."

Lily nodded, and with a "pop" they both apparated.

* * *

Seconds later and a few unpleasant sensations later, Lily and James appeared in the middle of Hogsmeade and just outside of the dirty bar that was their key to Dumbledore. 

James pulled something made of shimmering material—Lily recognized it right away. It was his invisibility cloak.

"There might be people in there waiting for us. I wouldn't be surprised if _they_ knew something went on in here with the Order."

James held open his cloak and Lily met him under the sleek material, letting her body disappear with his.

They didn't have to wait long in the cold for someone to stumble out of the bar, leaving the door open long enough for them to slip in undetected. Once in the smoke-filled pub, James held onto Lily and guided them to the back of the bar, where they let themselves into the empty store room they had become acquainted with since they joined the Order. James led them to the statue of the one-eyed witch and Lily touched the head. James inhaled and whispered the magic word.

"_Dissendium_"

Suddenly they appeared in Hogwarts.

It only took them a few minutes to navigate their way around their old school building and scurry up the winding stairs to Albus Dumbledore's office.

James lifted his fist and knocked on Dumbledore's door in a beat that pleaded a response. Only, none came. He looked down at Lily, who looked as disheartened as he felt. James threw manners to the wind, and barely hesitated to turn the knob and open the door. He walked in and looked around the room—Lily, not sure what James was looking for, followed him in and peered around the office as well.

"There's got to be something…" James muttered. "He must have something…"

"Who are these intruders? Just barging into the Headmaster's office! Outrage! Intruders! Bandits!"

Lily and James looked around the room alarmed. One portrait was awake. An old, stern looking wizard was shouting at them…and waking the other paintings.

"We better hurry before they all wake up and cause a ruckus." James told Lily.

Lily had a better idea.

"Excuse me, sir. We didn't mean to intrude here…"

"Right, right. You bandits expect me to believe you? The one time Albus leaves the door unlocked! Bandits!"

"No, sir. We're not bandits. We, we know Dumbledore. We're looking for him. Where has he gone? Is he coming back? It's urgent."

The old wizard's gray eyes shifted past Lily to James, who was pilfering around Dumbledore's desk.

"What are your names?" he asked, turning his attention back to Lily.

"Lily Evans and James Potter. We were Head Girl and Boy here last year, and we really need to see Dumbledore." Lily answered, distracting the portrait while James continued to search for anything helpful.

"Ah. I've heard him mention you. Secret business, eh?" The old wizard rubbed his nose with his sleeve. Lily held in her grimace and continued to smile as politely as she could under the circumstances. "He left almost two hours ago. Something urgent…top secret stuff, I imagine. I wouldn't expect him back anytime soon. He told me to keep a lookout for him. I told him he could always count on m---"

"Did he say where he went?" James interrupted, growing more frantic with the passing of time.

The aged wizard seemed perturbed at being interrupted but answered James' question.

"No, he didn't."

James huffed lightly and dragged his left hand through his hair, making it stick up in every direction.

"Thank you, sir. Tell the Headmaster we were looking for him, please. Do you mind if we look around a bit?"

The painting sighed but nodded despite himself. Lily could be charming without saying anything remotely amiable—it was more in the way she spoke. It was a talent that had gotten her far in her short life.

"Thank you." Lily replied with a smile as she began to peer around with James—whose disdain at this point had rendered him quite useless, but Lily was sympathetic and continued to look for something to give him hope. Dumbledore wouldn't leave them in the dark, would he?

"James, there's a file here. It's got the maps we were using to find Voldemort's meeting places. I think Dumbledore has something here for us." Lily said, her words filled with hopefulness. James' hazel eyes lit up and he walked over and looked at the papers in Lily's delicate hands.

"The old shoe store?" James pointed at the map as he drew the same conclusions Dumbledore had come to. "Dumbledore thinks they meet in the old shoe store in Diagon Alley?"

Just then, a faint whisper rippled in the room. James and Lily looked at each other, and then Lily looked down.

"James, I think it's coming from your trouser pocket."

His eyes lit up again and he pulled out what appeared to be a mirror.

"Padfoot! Is that you?" James whispered into the mirror. The reflective glass was dark and foggy and it was hard to distinguish anything.

"Prongs, I'm in Diagon Alley…I'm at…" An explosion of some sort cut Sirius off, but he continued to talk, his voice more urgent. "I've got to go, I need help!"

Before James could ask any questions, Sirius was gone. James looked at Lily. "He's got to be at that shoe store. Let's go!"

* * *

The new direction in their mission livened James, and he and Lily made it to Diagon Alley in record time, covered in the invisibility cloak. 

Lily, although she had been to Diagon Alley a dozen times, had no recollection of their being a shoe store anywhere.

"James, where exactly are we going?"

James slowed his stride as he explained softly. "Dragon Hide and Hippogriff Hair…it's a very old store. I don't think I've been to it since I was little. Something about them using real Hippogriffs deterred my mother from letting us shop there."

After making several odd turns and finding the shop, it became apparent that most people must have had the same idea as James' mother. It was a worn out, desolate looking place. A sign swinging from a single hinge indicated to Lily and James that they were at the right place. The writing was practically illegible, but If Lily strained her eyes she could make out the faded gold lettering. "Dragon Hide and Hippogriff Hair."

In Lily's opinion, it _looked_ like a grotesque place Death Eaters would meet.

"Okay." James started, looking hard at the building while he thought. Lily could tell from his assertive manners he was more nervous than he was trying to let on. "We're going to go in the front door. I think that's safest…they wouldn't be holding anything in front of the windows…once we get inside I'm going to leave you the invisibility cloak. It's too hard for us to navigate in there together…then, we'll go from there." James then looked down at Lily, right into her eyes. "Lily, I need you to promise me that if I get into trouble you'll turn around and go for Remus or McGonagall…someone to help…we can't both get trapped."

"Only if you promise me the same thing, James Potter. We don't need you devising a single-handed heroic plan only to get us all killed. Go for help." Lily demanded, her eyes blazing with the fierce passion she seemed to always carry around with her, always waiting for a moment for someone to light it from inside of her. At this moment, James was the candle.

"I promise." James said before kissing her quickly on the lips and slipping something in to her pocket.

"What is that?" Lily whispered as they turned to the store.

"It's the two way mirror; use it if you have to." James answered just as quietly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She replied strongly, gripping her wand with her right hand.

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

They entered the dark room as quietly as possible. It had the smell of old leather and mothballs. It was a strong combination that made Lily's nose wrinkle slightly. James ignored it and stepped out of the invisibility cloak to get a better look around the deserted shop. 

"James." Lily whispered. "Under your feet. I think there's a trap door."

James registered her words and glanced down at his feet. He smiled to himself and bent down and pressed his right ear to the ground. Footsteps. Shuffling of something. What was it? Furniture? Bodies? He opened the door a crack so that he could peer through. The room below was dim with light, and the space was just illuminated with the light of a few wands. James could make out four or five men in dark cloaks, but it was impossible to see how many there really were. He kept the door open just a crack so that he could listen without being detected.

"Stupid boy!" he heard a man's voice say. His friends chuckled in agreement.

"Oh that's my _dear_ cousin for you. Always behaving foolishly… impulsively. He's never had much of a head on his shoulders…just look at his friends for Merlin's sake. Mudbloods, Halfbreeds, and Mudblood lovers." A woman's voice chimed in maliciously at a shrill pitch.

"Well that's me, Bea. I never thought you understood me, but I see now that you do. It really must be true. Blood is thicker than water…"

James heard Sirius' voice with its usual sarcastic quips and his heart leapt with in his chest.

"Don't speak to me about the blood we share, Sirius. Yours is poisoned by the company you choose to keep." Beallatrix replied tartly. Quick retorts seemed to come with the Black nature, despite what associations they preferred.

Sirius let out his barking laugh which transformed within seconds to a sort of scream. James' face went white as he racked his brain for a plan of escape. The screaming soon ended.

"You won't be laughing for long." A darker, smoother voice that was new to the conversation said.

A few nodded and the man continued. "No, when our Master gets here, you won't be laughing at all. Grinning, maybe…for that defiant look in your eye may be frozen forever when He shows up."

"Just let me speak to Regulus. He doesn't belong here. You people don't want him for whatever the hell it is you're doing. I don't know what he's told you about himself, but he really isn't cut out for this…" Sirius said hurriedly. James could tell he was starting to panic.

"Oh Regulus understands perfectly, dear cousin." Beallatrix informed him with an amused tone. "Yes, he understands. I'm afraid it's _you_ that doesn't. And unfortunately, it's you that's going to have to pay."

"I'll never join you!" Sirius yelled in defiance, his voice so loud that James was sure someone outside would hear them.

"Are you sure, Black?" This new voice was cold, almost hissing. James could almost feel the air below him cool and could hear the breathing of everyone below him pause.

He was there.

"You speak rather foolishly for a man without a wand, Black, although I suppose Dumbledore would confuse that particular quality of yours with bravery."

The rhythmic breathing claimed the room once again among the Death Eaters. Sirius was still frozen and at loss of what to do. James froze at well, stuck between the impulse of fleeing the building or crashing through the trapdoor and surprising everyone.

Lily, feet away from James and still wrapped in the invisibility cloak, noticed James' tense posture immediately and had to fight the urge to ask him what was wrong at the risk of being discovered.

James, for the time being, paid close attention to the conversation below, as well as the positions of the company that would receive him.

Even in the dim light and awkward angle, James could tell Lord Voldemort was sneering.

"I believe the noble thing for you to do, Black, is to duel me, right?" Lord Voldemort chided.

"As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid that option isn't available." Sirius had regained his voice, and consequently, his self-destructive wit.

Lord Voldemort almost looked interested. "And why is that, Black? Scared?"

The Dark Lord's followers praised his words with an appreciative chuckle that did not go unnoticed by their master, who smiled to himself.

"No, not that exactly." Sirius continued, disregarding the people around him. "Well, I don't appear to have a second, someone to take up for me after I die. And you, on the other hand, have about five potential seconds here, so I hardly think it is fair…"

"That is what you get for jumping in the lion's den, Black." Voldemort retorted harshly, raising his wand arm threateningly.

James, not having any better idea as a means for extracting Sirius from so deadly a mission, chose this opportune time to make his presence known.

Lily watched James in disbelief and horror as he plunged to what she could only assume to be his death. Out of the intensity and desperation of the situation, an idea occurred to her, and she reached for her left arm and found her watch.

* * *

James landed rather gracefully and with his wand raised, he soon found five wands pointed at him, ready to kill. 

"Sorry to interrupt." James said in his most arrogant tone. "I just heard something about a possible duel and my good friend here needing a second. And well, I'm always Sirius' second."

Sirius looked at James with admiration.

Lord Voldemort glanced from James to Sirius with malicious amusement.

"I see. Black, I'll take you as my second."

Sirius' eyes grew wide as one of the cloaked figures stepped forward.

"Yes, Master."

It was the voice of Regulus Black.

"You bloody idiot! Can't you see what you're getting into?" Sirius couldn't resist shouting, his rage bubbling inside of him.

Regulus didn't give Sirius the satisfaction of a response. Instead, he walked towards his Lord, taking his place at Lord Voldemort's right side.

James watched Lord Voldemort. It was clear to him that he had no intention of needing a second and that he had only called for one for this pleasure.

"The rest of you." Voldemort started. "Leave us."

"But Master—" Beallatrix Lestrange interrupted with a tone that suggested that she wanted nothing more than the enjoyment of seeing her cousin destroyed.

Voldemort turned to her warningly. "Go. You have better things to be doing."

Beallatrix nodded. "Yes, my Lord." And with her words, she apparated with her companions to some location that was a mystery to James and Sirius.

"Now." Lord Voldemort said as he turned his attention back to his prey. "I believe it is time for us to conduct the niceties."

Up above, Lily crouched over the opening that James had left wide open in his haste. She kept the invisibility cloak wrapped around her tightly as she watched Sirius and Voldemort turning and pacing back into opposite directions, only to turn around briskly and face each other.

She held her breath and prayed that someone from the Order would receive her signal of distress and arrive soon.

Two bright flashes shot across the room, one red, one yellow. Sirius was on the floor, screaming, twitching uncontrollably. Lily could see the horror on James' helpless face.

Just then she heard an old door opening.

She stood up quickly, however reluctantly, and quietly moved over to the front of the store to get a look at who was entering.

A short blonde woman walked in with a fierce look in her eye and behind her stood a tall lanky man.

"Alice!" Lily whispered into the air. "Frank!"

They both turned towards the sound of their names being called, only to see nothing.

"Who's there?" Frank demanded, stepping beside Alice, both of them with their wands raised.

Lily, remembering she still had her cloak on, pulled it down. "It's Lily Evans. Look, we don't have time." She started hurriedly, cutting them off from asking any questions. "Lord Voldemort is down below...in the cellar. He's got Regulus Black with him. He's dueling Sirius…James is down there too. We've got to hurry before he kills them!"

The facial expressions on their faces didn't change, but when Alice spoke it reflected the urgency of the matter.

"We'll use your cloak. One of us will jump down, invisible, but making a crash…a distraction. The other two will follow after."

"Okay, I'll go first." Lily said, ushering her saviors to the trap door, motioning for them to be as quiet as possible.

When she got back to the opening in the floor, she pulled the cloak back on, and looked below; hoping Sirius and James were still alive.

Lord Voldemort seemed to be taking his time, torturing Sirius for mere amusement. James had stopped looking horrified and wore a distant expression---Lily sensed he realized his emotion gave Lord Voldemort satisfaction.

Sirius was down on his knees now, forced down by what appeared to be the Imperious Curse. His face and hands were covered in blood.

Without looking back, Lily fell down, landing on Regulus Black.

* * *

The next thing she knew she was awakening into an illuminating world of white.

* * *

**POLL: Is Valentine's Day overrated?**

**Thanks to all my reviewers! I greatly appreciate the feedback!**

**Lia Amitair: Thanks for your feedback...I've never really thought of my stories starting and ending the same way but I'll try to be more creative! Thanks for reading!**

**snow-white-lilies: Read anything by Secret Lily. She's one of my favorite writers on fanfic. Also, Amortentia by Tynwfiel is good. Oh, and Muggle It by 00PhoenixFeather00, and I'm in the middle of reading Intricate Amendments by Daisy Blue which is fairly good too.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers again!**


	28. The Offer

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. But I promise, updates will be much quicker and more regular now that it's summer. Yay! Thanks for continuing to read my story. Oh, and for the results of the last poll, most people think Valentine's day is slightly overrated and materialistic. I'm glad you guys have noticed that. I hate materialism. Sigh, but what else can Americans be but materialistic? And this summer, I'm working for the man. Yeah, I'm a hypocrite…but I need the moneys. Oh, as for the poll…what's your favorite summer activity? Mine would be going to the beach. Anyways, read and review, and have a nice day!**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Offer**

Lily awoke in a state of exhausted confusion. Her vision was blurry and her eyes were having trouble adjusting to her bright white surroundings. In an effort to make sense of where she was, she shifted her body to sit up. Her vision began to clear and she was able to make out intimidating objects and machines. It didn't take long for Lily to realize she was in a hospital.

"Lily? You're up!"

She turned sharply to her left and saw James getting up from his chair. He looked a mess—he had large bags under his eyes and his hair was surprisingly messier than usual. Lily didn't know it could get any messier.

He rushed to her side, taking her hands up in his and kissing her all about her face.

"Thank Merlin!" he cried, his happiness radiating from his eyes and grin. "I'll go get the healers."

While James went to get the healers, Lily looked down and inspected the damage that had been done to her body.

Her right arm was bound with white gauze material and the other had a series of tubes stuck into the nook of her forearm and bicep. She looked to what machine the tubes belonged—it was a ghastly looking machine that looked to Lily like a small Muggle fish tank, but instead of gaudy faux plants and bright fish it was filled with a bluish gel-like substance. She shivered a little at the thought of that goo running through her veins just as James returned.

He brought with him a stout woman of about thirty-five. She had her blonde hair trapped to her head with a series of pins (and spells, Lily thought, for nothing could be that stationary…could it?). The woman didn't appear to be very friendly and her staunch white cloak gave her the look of being swallowed by a large cotton ball.

"Are you feeling better, Ms. Evans?" the healer asked in a voice that suited her, professional and void of all emotion.

"I suppose so." Lily managed to say, realizing they were the first words she had spoken in …days? Weeks? Months? How long had she been here? Surely she hadn't missed the wedding? Maybe that's why James looked so distraught…

"How long have I been here?" Lily asked sharply as panic took hold of her. The amount of work that would be awaiting her at the office! And poor James!

"Nine and a half days." James replied as he approached her side, taking her right bandaged hand softly and caressing it. "It's November twenty-sixth" he added, for Lily looked slightly confused.

"Oh." She said, relief flooding over her. She hadn't been here that long. Everything would be okay.

"Is everyone else safe?" She avoided asking what had happened while the nurse was in the room. The last thing she remembered was falling on top of Regulus Black.

James nodded. "Yes, Sirius was here until just a few days ago, actually. Frank and Alice are fine too, they were just checked out and they were able to go home."

Lily smiled, showing her white teeth. "And you?"

James grinned tiredly. "I'm fine, I'm so glad you've awoken…they were a little doubtful about the effects of the curse…but now that you're awake there's little to worry about."

"I don't know what you've got this young man under," the healer started, "but he hasn't left your side much at all. I was going to give him a sleep draught if you're conditions hadn't improved soon." She smiled slightly. Maybe she wasn't so staunch after all, Lily decided.

"You'll need to rest another day, I think." She continued, "I just want to make sure you're in working order before we set you loose."

Lily nodded at the woman. "That sounds good." She turned to James. "James, go home and sleep, okay? You look terrible."

"I thought I looked quite dashing." James quipped, guiding a hand through his hair and smiling.

Lily chuckled lightly. "Go rest, I'll be fine."

"All right." James conceded, "I'll let Sirius and everyone know that you're up, they'll probably want to come visit you. I mean, I don't know why they would…"

"Very funny." Lily replied, smirking at him.

"I love you." James said as he leaned in and kissed her lips lightly. "I'll be back tomorrow. Before training."

"After training, James. You need to sleep." She remarked with finality, and then added "I love you too."

James nodded and kissed her once more before leaving her to rest.

* * *

Later that afternoon Sirius, Remus, and Peter appeared at her side. 

"It's nice to see you finally got James out of here." Sirius stated as a way of greeting. "Poor bloke was in here all the bloody time. I'm surprised he didn't die in training from the fatigue and strain he was putting on himself. Really, Evans, what have you done to him that keeps him at your bedside all night?"

"Probably some sort of charm, she was always so bloody good at them at school. Now we know why…she just wanted to bed poor Prongsie…" Remus quipped as he kissed her on the top of her head. "It's good to see you're doing better." He added sincerely.

"Yeah, it's a good thing you came around…I'd hate to see James if anything more serious had happened." Sirius added with a genuine tone, smiling at her.

"Where should I put these?" Peter asked quietly, holding a gigantic basket up for her to see. It contained an array of roses, candy, stuffed animals, and if Lily wasn't mistaken, dungbombs.

"Just give it to her." Sirius suggested, his eyebrows raised mischievously.

"No,no! Don't put that over here…Merlin knows what you've done with it!" Lily exclaimed with as much energy as she had all that day.

"Do you really think that poorly of us, Lily?" Sirius asked, feigning his typical hurt look.

"Look at Peter, he knows there's something wrong with it—are those dungbombs going to go off the second you give them to me?" Lily continued, pointing at a confused Peter.

Sirius sighed. "He was always the one that would give it away."

Peter shrugged and placed the basket on one of the counters. As he did a series of obscene noises and smells were emitted into the room.

"Buggers!" Lily cried. "Rotten dirty---!!"

"Oh calm down." Sirius said lightly. "We don't want to give you an aneurysm or anything." He grinned at her.

Remus was more practical—he pulled out his wand and did a fresh fragrance charm—he smiled at Lily once more before returning his wand to the pocket of his robe.

Lily pursed her lips together to keep from grinning. After looking around the room again and deciding it was clear, she spoke up.

"Guys…what exactly happened after I fell? What happened to me?"

The three young men smiled at her. Sirius was the first to speak. "James hasn't told you yet?"

Lily shook her head. "No, he was just so worried about me, and well, he was just so tired…I didn't want to strain him…"

Sirius nodded and waved his hand to silence her. "Figures, anyways, it's just more fun for us to tell you." He grinned broadly, accentuating his handsome aristocratic features. "You, Me, James, Alice, and Frank, have just become the first people to encounter Lord Voldemort and survive."

Lily ignored Peter's shudder and looked past Sirius, who was grinning boastfully. She studied Remus, who didn't look as happy as he had just been.

"What's wrong, Remus?" she asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Oh Moony just likes to bring up a little depressing detail every time I mention this---which hasn't been a lot…really, can't tell many people…"

"What Padfoot is leaving out is that you are now on Lord Voldemort's 'most wanted list'." Remus interrupted. Peter shuddered again and put his hands in his pockets nervously.

Lily's face whitened ever so slightly and she let out a breath. Well. She thought. If not now, if would have happened eventually, right? It was one of the risks of belonging to the Order.

"I see" was all she said. "And of course James is aware of this…and Alice, and Frank…"

"Yeah." Remus said. "You missed the last Order meeting---Sirius did too, but Dumbledore talked to them, described what you guys are all in to now…he'll probably want to meet with you, now that you're awake. He visited you three times, you know. Hoping you'd get better soon."

Lily smiled, and although she didn't feel that tired, she yawned.

Remus seemed to get the hint.

"Well, we've probably excited you enough for one day." He said. "We'll go, and I'll tell Grace 'hi' for you. She'll be glad that you're doing better."

"Yeah, and I guess ol' Wormtail and I'll be off, I'll make sure Prongs doesn't go too crazy tonight." Sirius added, smiling again and grabbing hold of Peter and ushering him out. "I'll bar the doors if I have to; he's getting a full night's sleep tonight, Miss Evans, so keep your charms away."

"I'll try, but you know how I can't control myself." Lily retorted sweetly. "I'll see you all later. Thanks for stopping by!"

"No problem, you invalid." Remus said, waving at her before he shut the door.

Lily sighed. Well, she thought. This is it.

* * *

She finally made it home the next morning. James came and picked her up, took her to her apartment, and after half an hour of insisting that she'd be okay and promising that she would not go to work that day, James left for training.

After he had left, Lily owled the office and explained that she had been terribly ill for that past week and a half and told them she would be in tomorrow, she also asked if there was anything she could do while she was at home. An hour later, Madam Bones herself replied.

_Dear Lily,_

_I am aware that you have been ill for awhile now and have been at St. Mungo's. Albus Dumbledore has explained the situation to me, and I can only say that I am glad that you're alive and on the way to recovery. Don't worry about what you've missed; Owen Scruggs has been covering you at my request. Take care, and if you're sure you're feeling better, I'll see you tomorrow._

_Sincerely,_

_Madam Bones_

Lily gave a small sigh of relief. It was nice that she wouldn't have to make excuses for her absence, but she really had hoped Bones would include some things she could research or look into so that she didn't feel so useless.

Just then, Charlotte appeared from her bedroom, looking sleepy and freshly awoken.

"Lily!" she cried as she rushed to embrace her roommate. "Sirius told me that you would be back soon! I'm so glad you are okay! That must have been some case of dragon pox. Do you have any scars? My second cousin Edward had them once and he had a terrible pock mark on his nose."

Lily smiled as Charlotte released her. So this was the story she was going to have to keep up. "Oh, yeah, it was terrible. No pock marks though, they have this lovely potion nowadays, keeps from scarring."

"I came and visited you once-- before I went on this trip to India, I actually just got back late last night-- You were pretty out of it." Charlotte continued. "I saw Sirius too—he had a terrible accident in training, but I suppose you know all about that."

"Yeah," was all Lily managed to fit in before Charlotte continued talking.

"And don't worry, I saved all the _Prophets_, I know how you love to keep up with the news…although it's bloody depressing right now." Charlotte pointed to a giant stack loitering by the sofa. "Would you like some tea? And eggs? I hear hospital food is terrible."

"That sounds great." Lily answered, smiling. "Thanks for saving the papers."

"No problem." Charlotte called out as she went to go make a late breakfast.

She returned fifteen minutes later with two plates and handed one to Lily as she made room for herself on the sofa.

They ate together in varied degrees of silence. Every once in a while Charlotte would chime in with a "oh, I remember that" or a "nasty thing that happened there" and Lily would occasionally ask a question and Charlotte would attempt to answer.

Finally, Charlotte got up and took both of their plates.

"I've got to go to the office, but I'll be back for dinner. Lets invite everyone over, we can have a welcoming back dinner." Charlotte said happily.

Lily nodded with a smile. It sounded like a nice idea. "Sure, that sounds excellent. I can start on some of the food…I don't have much else to do."

"All right, then. I'll be home around five, want to have every one come out at seven?"

"Sounds great, I'll owl everyone."

"I'll see you later---take it easy, Lily…I hear these viruses can come back if you're not careful." Charlotte warned with a caring glance.

"I will, have fun at work." Lily waved her off and went back to reading the papers.

Charlotte was right---it was bloody depressing. One entire family had been murdered in their beds. Three people were missing. Five Muggles had been harassed so badly they had ended up in St. Mungo's. Only two people had been arrested by the Ministry, and in Lily's opinion, they didn't seem guilty at all. It looked like the Ministry was just trying to arrest anybody in a pathetic attempt to look like they were achieving some sort of progress and making some sort of difference.

She sighed and pulled up her legs onto the couch and then spread out across the sofa and continued to read. She only had three days left to catch up with.

Just then, she heard a knock at her door. Startled, all the papers fell from her lap and on to the floor. She got up in a haste and stood up rather drunkenly. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She wasn't expecting anybody…James was at training…and it wasn't his lunch break of anything. Her parents wouldn't be visiting her. Alice would be at work too. Could it be Petunia? No. She almost laughed at that thought---and then real worry struck her. Death Eaters? Voldemort?

Would the most evil sorcerer of all time knock?

Maybe.

She held in her breath and gripped her wand tightly as she approached the door.

"Who is it?" She asked with more courage than she felt at the moment.

"Albus Dumbledore." Came a vibrant, cheerful, serious voice.

Relief washed over her face and she opened the door. Dumbledore stood before her in bright purple robes.

"Good morning, Lily." He greeted, as Lily let him in.

"Good morning, Professor." Lily replied cheerfully, her eyes darting around her small flat for any signs of mess or embarrassing personal things left about. With Charlotte you could never know. Once, Lily found Charlotte's bright red bra on the kitchen table. She really didn't want to know how it had gotten there, so she didn't ask.

"Now, Lily, I don't mean to chastise you, but you should really think of some sort of system when answering the door. What if I had been imperiused?"

Lily nodded. She knew she should be more careful. "I know, I'll be more cautious, Professor. But if you don't mind me saying, if you had been imperiused, we would be in more trouble than we previously anticipated."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad you think of me so highly, Lily."

"Would you like to sit down? The sitting room is a bit distraught looking, but it's comfortable."

"That would be lovely." Professor Dumbledore replied as Lily pointed him in the right direction.

"And would you like some tea? Then we get down to business---I'm sure this is a business visit, sir?" Lily asked awkwardly. She knew her old headmaster must have something vital to share with her. He usually didn't make house calls. She actually didn't realize that he knew where she lived. It didn't really surprise her. Albus Dumbledore knew everything.

"Sadly, yes, it is a bit of an urgency that I speak with you. And I would love some tea. Sugar and cream, please, if you have it."

"Of course." Lily added before making her way to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, she appeared in her sitting room, where she found Dumbledore sitting on her couch and staring at the television.

She handed him his mug and took a seat in a chair across from him.

He nodded in thanks and spoke up. "These television things, I never did quite grasp the concept. Although I find it very fascinating."

Lily smiled and took a sip of her tea. "James gets a real kick out of it…once or twice I've found him and Sirius trying to meddle with it…they think people are inside of it."

Dumbledore chuckled softly and raised his mug to his lips and took a long sip before a serious expression took hold of his aging features.

"I would like to congratulate you on your bravery, Lily. You and James going after Sirius after he disappeared was very noble, and I must say, you two acted with great skill and cunning to get to him in time. Sirius Black owes you his life, I'm sure."

Lily nodded and looked away. She had been avoiding the reason for the whole fiasco. Why had Sirius left? "Alice and Frank Longbottom helped, too. I'm quite certain if they hadn't replied to our distress we would have all been done for."

"Ah, yes. The Longbottoms. Very brilliant Aurors." Dumbledore smiled slightly.

"I came to talk to you, Lily, about the results of that night." Dumbledore took a sip of tea before looking up at her again. "You, James, Sirius, and Alice and Frank, are now the only people that have stood up to Lord Voldemort and survived. Therefore, I find it most vital for you to understand the significance of your position. Voldemort and his followers will most likely be hunting all of you down from now on. Nothing will ever be as safe as it once was. I am afraid, that from now on, you have to consider yourself in mortal danger." Dumbledore let out a breath. "That is why I am giving you the opportunity to leave the Order if you wish. I already presented the offer to James, Sirius, and the Longbottoms. If you choose to do so, I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure you are safe and hidden…but I cannot promise anything. Lord Voldemort is a vengeful fellow, one who does not like to be shown up."

Dumbledore's words swarmed over Lily's head like a powerful cold wind that she hadn't been expecting.

"What did James say?" Lily asked lightly. She couldn't make her decision without knowing what James' reply was.

Dumbledore smiled as if he had been anticipating this response. "James said that depended on you. He'll do whatever you like, he has your safety as his top priority."

"I want to stay." Lily said with force. She knew James did, too. "Now that we're in this, really in this, we've got to stop it." Her green eyes blazed with vigor and passion. Dumbledore nodded.

"Then I am relieved." Dumbledore took another sip of his tea. "I am very pleased that you have agreed to stay on. And now, I must warn you again, you have to be careful at all times. I'm not saying be paranoid…paranoia can make the sanest people utterly crazy and careless. I'm saying that you should always know who you're with and that you should always be aware of your surroundings. I trust you will do well. You're a brilliant witch, Lily."

Lily blushed ever so slightly at her former Headmaster's compliment, but she also understood the gravity of his words.

"You can count on me, Professor. I'll be as cautious as ever."

"Good, good." Dumbledore replied lightly. "Now if you will forgive me, I must be off. I will see you at our next meeting---it's a week from today."

"See you then." Lily said as she stood up with Dumbledore to lead him to the door.

"Be careful, Lily. Oh, and Madam Bones knows of your situation, so don't be too worried. She has a few new files to give you that we will all find very interesting. Good day"

And with his words, Dumbledore was gone. Lily breathed in heavily and went to get a glass of water.

**Poll: What's your favorite summertime activity?**

**Much thanks to my reviewers: Joham, shtarky, becky6, Once Upon A teardrop, glowing ice, messyblackhair66, iheartSnitchBoxers, Lazylilies, loonymarauder, grannyHPfan, Lia Amitair, one-sirius-niece, dancergrl19, elise bentwin, Freedom Star, and princess eclipse.**

**Once Upon A teardrop: I'll be glad to read your fics. I've just been really busy lately. Now that it's summer I'll have more time. Thanks for reviewing.**

**glowing ice- This is the first time they have defied Voldemort.**

**Messyblackhair66: Sirius did not kill Regulus, so don't worry. If you were worried, that is. By the way, I've read a fic of yours. It was very good.**

**Lazylilies: actually, I changed my major to English and Creative Writing. It was Accounting for awhile, haha. I'll check up on your story sometime. Cool deal on finding a new name.**

**Oh, and thanks to my beta!**


	29. It’s Just a Big Game of Quidditch, Right

**A/N: So here I am guys, updating. Thanks for the reviews for last chapter. It means more than you could know. Cool results from last chapter's poll, too. (What's your favorite summer time activity)…things like camps, romances, and playing outside took the cake. This week's poll is summer themed as well…What's Your Favorite Summertime Tune? All right. So read and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: It's Just a Big Game of Quidditch, Right?**

James Potter slipped off his sweaty robes and hopped into the shower. He had received Lily's invitation for dinner during his lunch break and was now getting ready to head over. Her invitation had said seven o'clock, and had gotten off work at six, and then gotten home twenty minutes later, and as a result, he was in a bit of a rush. He knew Lily wouldn't mind if he was late, but when it came to Lily, James liked to be punctual.

After his quick shower, he changed quickly into a set of suitable clothes, and then went to see if Sirius was still around.

James found him in the kitchen eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Padfoot, we're going to eat at Lily and Charlotte's." James said as he did a drying spell on his wet hair. It dried and fell to its usual disorder within seconds.

"I know." Sirius replied with some difficulty as he crammed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed it slightly, and then swallowed a bite so large James could have sworn he saw it travel down Sirius' esophagus. "I was hungry." He added as an obvious explanation.

James smiled and shook his head. "You ready to go?"

Sirius nodded and eyed James' hand, which was holding a small duffel bag.

"Staying the night at Miss Evans'?" Sirius grinned cheekily as he opened his mouth to add another comment before James interrupted him.

"Yeah, I am." James replied, dismissing his friend's teasing, "Let's go."

"All right, I'm coming…"

* * *

"James!" greeted Lily as she opened the door; she kissed him softly, before smiling at him. "How was your day?"

"Long." He replied, before Sirius introduced himself.

"I see how you are Evans, acting like I'm not here." Sirius said boisterously.

Lily smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, Sirius, how was your day?"

"All right, I suppose. We would have been here earlier if James hadn't spent so long primping. He's like a bloody woman."

"We we're late because somebody had to have an appetizer." James protested indignantly.

"I was just waiting for you to get ready, Jamsie-poo." Sirius retorted, grinning at James before ruffling his hair playfully and going to greet his girlfriend.

"Ugh." James sighed as he put his hands through his hair, trying to undo whatever damage had been done.

Lily smiled again and hugged him, and stood softly against him for a moment. She then kissed his nose and put her hands through his hair.

"Remember when you hated that?" James asked her in a soft tone.

"I never hated it." Lily replied, still smiling. "Come on in, everyone else is here. Well, except Allison and Jacob, they couldn't make it, but Peter, Remus, and Grace are already here…and I'm sure Peter's ready for dinner…he's asked about if for about ten minutes now. He's an impatient fellow."

"Only when it comes to food," James replied as he followed her into the dining room where their friends were already seated, talking happily amongst each other.

"Prongs!" Peter greeted hastily. "We can eat now." He said to everyone else at the table.

James smiled as he sat down. "Hello, Wormtail. How have you been?... haven't seen you in awhile."

Peter faltered for a split second; he had a bowl of mashed potatoes in his hands and was now spooning a healthy portion onto his plate.

"Oh, you know, work. Those goblins aren't exactly friendly, I'm working all the time, and taking care of Mother. She hasn't been well, recently."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." James replied as Peter handed him the potatoes.

"Yeah, I hope your mother gets well soon." Remus added, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I'll tell her, um, what you guys said." Peter said quietly, looking down at his plate now. "Care to pass the roast, Padfoot?"

Sirius was currently forking mass amounts of roast beef onto his plate. He looked up at Peter. "Just a second."

Peter gave a disgruntled kind of noise that didn't go unnoticed by Sirius.

"Well it's not like you need it that much… and let me get some before you eat it all," Sirius mumbled. James chuckled softly, as well as the others. Only Lily, always the good-natured, conscientious friend, was able to contain her laughter

"Sod off, Sirius." Peter said quietly.

James looked up from his plate, and caught Sirius' eye, and then Remus'. The three exchanged a look and Sirius passed the roast to Peter.

"Sorry, mate. I was only joking." Sirius apologized. James had to hand it to him. Sirius was never great with apologizing to anyone. Peter didn't say anything. He just took the roast and began piling it next to his potatoes.

"Well, let's eat." Lily said, in an attempt to break any left over tension.

Dinner went by much better after that, but there was still a bit of unspoken hostility in the air until everyone but James, Lily, Charlotte, and Sirius were left.

Lily and James were finishing with the dishes when Charlotte came in to the kitchen.

"All right, well, Sirius and I will be off," She wore the mischievous smile that resembled her cousin's. "I won't be back, so you two have the house to yourselves." She winked at them.

"Do we even want to know what Sirius' idea was?" Lily asked.

"Oh, well," Charlotte continued to grin and then leaned towards Lily and away from James. She spoke with a tone she must have thought was quiet and secretive.

"He was reading one of my magazines…you know what I'm talking about, and there was this article, I think it was called something along the lines of 'Adventurous Things to Do with Your Tongue'---"

"Enough!" James cried, holding his hands over his ears.

Charlotte laughed, "Well James, you should have been covering your ears earlier, honestly…if you weren't so nosy…"

"You coming, Charlotte?" Sirius called from the other room.

"Hold on!" Charlotte replied loudly. She smiled again and said goodnight to Lily and James.

"We should never ask when it comes to Sirius and Charlotte." James said as soon as they had left.

Lily laughed as she dried the last dish with her wand. "Well, I have that article she was talking about…"

"Do you really?" James replied instantly, new energy taking over his body.

"Yes I do…somewhere…" Lily said, tapping her forefinger to her chin as she thought, smiling. "I think I may have misplaced it…"

James looked his teasing girlfriend over before reaching towards her and pulling her to him. He kissed her deeply and pressed his hips into hers.

"Wait, I think I left it…in my bedroom…" Lily said finally, grinning playfully.

* * *

Later that night, Lily rolled over next to James and watched him. He was currently lying on his back, looking at the ceiling. The playful mood had dissipated and was replaced with a quiet, content atmosphere. 

"Dumbledore came and saw me earlier today." Lily said finally, moving her fingers slowly over James' arm in a soft caress.

"Oh, yeah?" James replied, turning over to see her. "I figured he'd want to talk to you."

"Yeah, he thinks Voldemort will be keeping an eye on us, to say the least." Lily continued, looking into James' hazel eyes. "He wanted to know if I wanted out of the Order."

James nodded to show he was listening, but said nothing.

"I said no, and that I want to keep helping the Order, of course." Lily finished.

James gave a small smile. "And I said I'd do whatever you chose. I want to continue to fight, too."

"I know you do, but James, are you scared?" Lily asked, timidly. It had plagued Lily's mind all day, and the truth was, she was rather frightened.

"Yeah, I am." James answered, with the endearing honesty he always seemed to save for her most desperate questions. "Just a little. But I mean, that's how it is, I suppose. I think it was only a matter of time before Voldemort noticed us, really. We've always been against him, so it's just a risk we're going to have to take, I suppose."

"I know." Lily replied as she cuddled closer to him. "I love you, James."

James smiled and kissed the top of her head as he embraced her. "I love you, too…and it's perfectly natural to be a bit fearful."

"And James, I've been wondering." Lily started. The things that had been occupying her mind for the past couple of days were finally surfacing, and Lily could do nothing to stop them from venturing out of her head and through her lips.

"Yes?"

"Well, don't get me wrong, I don't mind going after Sirius, he means a lot to me, and he means a lot to you, it's just, I've been wondering…how did Sirius get in that predicament to begin with?" She held her breath as she watched James, who seemed to be thinking before answering her question.

Finally, he spoke, using the same delicate tone that seemed to be occupying her bedroom.

"You know about Sirius' family." He started. "And about his brother, Regulus."

Lily nodded as she looked aptly at James, who continued to divulge.

"Sirius and Regulus actually used to be fairly close. They are so close in age, and they used to stick together against their mother's rants…you know? They were brothers. Sirius would always have Regulus' back, and Regulus would have his. But, you know, all that changed…well, not even when Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor…sure, his mother and father weren't pleased, practically disowned him when they heard that bit of news…anyways, Regulus still looked up to Sirius, they were still brothers and confidents. But then, Regulus was sorted into Slytherin…and hell broke loose, so to speak. Eventually, Regulus was sucked into his parent's world, they praised him, after all, and supported him…and well, we know how they feel about Sirius." James took a breath and looked at Lily, who was still deeply immersed in James' words.

"But at the end of the day, they are still brothers." James continued. "Or were, I think this was the last straw for Sirius. Dumbledore told Sirius what had become of Regulus…leaving school and joining Voldemort. Sirius wanted to stop him from making that mistake."

Lily nodded but raised an eyebrow. "But how did Sirius know where to find him? How did he know how to go after him?"

"Lord Voldemort was trying to recruit Sirius." James answered flatly. Lily gasped slightly. James looked at her again. "Well, he knows how Sirius is, believe me, but Sirius is still a Black---and the Blacks are notorious for their obsessive interest in the Dark Arts and their infamous blood purity. So, Sirius went to them, and well, we both know what happened after that. Things went terrible, and Regulus didn't even acknowledge Sirius as his brother."

"Wow." Was all Lily managed to say. It was always hard for her to imagine the intensity of sibling love where you would sacrifice yourself for your brother, or in her case, sister. She knew Petunia would never come looking for her if she happened to hear that she was in grave danger. And Petunia would probably be mad if Lily tried to save her.

James smiled and then kissed her on her nose.

A sudden thought struck Lily.

"James…has Voldemort tried to recruit you?"

James shook his head. "No, no, he hasn't…yet. The Potters are very wealthy and pureblood, but are nothing like the Blacks. It is pretty widely known that my parents and family have been against Dark Arts for ages."

"Oh, the noble Potters!" Lily said, sarcastic and smiling. James laughed lightly but became serious once more.

"I really think it's only a matter of time before he asks me to join him." James exhaled loudly. "I mean, I know he knows I'm an auror-in-training, but it would be stupid for him not to try, really. My blood is notoriously pure; it would be a great advantage for him to have me on his side. It's only a matter of time." James finally looked a little scared.

"What will you do when they approach you?" Lily asked, in a hoarse, nervous whisper.

"Say no, of course. That'd I rather die." James replied sternly, a defiant look in his eyes. "I would, rather die…than betray myself, my friends, or you, Lily."

Lily blushed slightly---she was surprised James still had the power to do that. James moved close to her and took her in his arms, holding her tightly as they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In a few days time, Lily, James, and Sirius found themselves at the Order meeting. They took seats next to a friendly looking Frank and Alice, who was waving them over. They were soon joined by Peter, Remus, Grace, and Dorcas Meadowes, James' partner. 

"Nice to see you're well, Lily!" Alice greeted her, her round face smiling.

"I'm glad you're all right, too." Lily exchanged, looking equally as friendly.

Before they could immerse themselves into steady conversation, Albus Dumbledore stood up, automatically beckoning the room's attention.

He stood tall and imposing in his purple robes, and spoke, "It is excellent to see all of you here and all in good health." His blue eyes flickered gently in Lily's direction. "You all know that a few of our very own have now stood up to Voldemort, and have lived to tell the tale."

To Lily's surprise, the people in the room nodded as one, a few daring to steal glances at her, James', Sirius', and the Longbottom's directions.

Dumbledore continued. "Voldemort is now forced to acknowledge that the Order is a force to reckon with. As a result, we need to collectively double our efforts. We will need people within the Ministry keeping an eye on coworkers that could either be working for Voldemort, or under the Imperius curse. We also need people recruiting new members, as of now, Voldemort's supporters outnumber us two to one—but that is to be expected---he has been recruiting members gradually for the past fifteen years. We also need the members among us within the Ministry to be exceedingly careful about any information they disclose—any information could be a weapon if it landed in the hands of Lord Voldemort. We also must investigate certain people within the Wizarding community that may be supporting Voldemort—either by financial backing, passing information, or actively working for him. At the end of this meeting, everyone will receive a piece of parchment outlining their duty. It will burn as soon as you're done, so read carefully. Now, Benjy will read this week's updates…"

After about twenty minutes, the meeting was over, and James and Lily stood in the corner of the room with their pieces of parchment. Just before Lily opened hers to discover her task, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly, her hand instinctively searching for her wand in her robes.

The man in front of her chuckled at her jumpiness. "And that's how you can tell someone is in the Order."

Lily laughed and loosened her grip on her wand and took the hand that was now outstretched to her.

"Caradoc Dearborn." The man offered.

"Lily Evans." She replied, taking in the man's appearance. He was fairly tall and imposing, but his face was round and kind. She turned around to find James, who she intended on introducing, but found that he was being confronted by several Order members as well.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier…usually I'm just in and out at these meetings. I just wanted to tell you that I'm really impressed with your standing up to Voldemort like that." He smiled again and then looked at his watch. "But I do have to go now, see you…and good luck."

He hadn't been gone five seconds when she was approached by two identical men with wild, flaming red hair.

"Hullo, Evans!" One of the men said, he too was smiling. "I'm Gideon Prewett."

"And I'm Fabian." Said his twin, taking a low bow as a way of greeting. "We heard you know our cousin, Allison. Sorry about her, she's a right prude."

Lily couldn't suppress a smile.

"Well anyways, we thought it would be best to meet you, seeing as now we'll probably be working a lot together…" Gideon started.

"And we thought we'd congratulate you on the whole defying Voldemort thing." Fabian finished.

Lily laughed lightly. "Thank you, I'll take that as a very big compliment—James and Sirius tell me you guys are some of the most impressive Aurors they've ever seen."

To her surprise, the twins smiled, but their ears turned red, as if they were embarrassed. Gideon spoke next. "Oh, that's just Black trying to brown nose. We're helping Longbottom teach the new Aurors, see."

"Well Sirius has always been a smooth talker, but he really did sound genuinely impressed when he talks about you both." Lily smiled and looked around the room. It was almost deserted except for the huddle of people around James, Lily, and Sirius. Alice and Frank stood back, smiling to themselves and talking. Lily was surprised to see that they too weren't surrounded by people. They had done just as much to defy Voldemort as she did—probably more, considering she blacked out.

"Well we better be off—early morning tomorrow—and we have these tasks to complete now!" Fabian finally said, tugging his brother out the door with him. "We'll be seeing you, Lily."

By the time everyone had made their excuses for leaving it was ten o'clock. James, Lily, and Sirius met up with Alice and Frank outside the old classroom.

"Well congratulations, you three." Alice said, her round face beaming at them.

"What do you mean?" James asked—evidently he had noticed the lack of praise surrounding Alice and Frank, too. "You did as much as we did, why was everyone so amazed by us?"

"It's simple." Frank replied. "Come on, James, you've played Quidditch. It's like when you're the new member on the team and you've just done something remarkable to save the game and win. You belong now."

"You've proved yourselves to the Order." Alice finished, still smiling.

"That was one hell of a game, then." James said, slapping Sirius on the back and then reaching for Lily's hand. "We'd better be going, I suppose. We'll see you two later."

Lily and Sirius offered their goodbyes and then they were off.

"Well if that's the kind of reception we get, I say we defy Voldemort more often." Said Sirius, smiling smugly to himself.

"Oh no—they've just fueled Sirius' already gigantic ego." Lily teased as the walked together out of the castle.

* * *

**Poll: What's Your Favorite Summer Tune?**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Thanks to my reviewers: Lazy Lilies, Muse Dae, glowing-ice, fudge butter, white camellia, WutevaChica, elise bentwin, messyblackhair66, justcallmedollface, grannyHPfan, milbunny007, and Princess Eclpise.**

**Muse Dae: It was a very dark, little known about curse. The healers were uncertain about the side effects because they couldn't quite pinpoint what it was---think along the lines of the Death Eaters fighting the D.A. in OoTP**

**Messblackhair66: I read "The Slightly Botched Fairytale"…it's very refreshing, I think. Update soon, won't you?**


	30. False Alarms Vs Real Threats

**A/N: So here's chapter 30. enjoy! Oh, and nice summer songs, guys. I think mine is that Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" song...it's just so fun--well, sort of, you people know what I mean. This week's poll--If you could do one thing to change the world--anything--what would it be? Anyways...read, review, and enjoy these last few weeks before our fate is sealed in the Deathly Hallows! **

**Chapter Thirty: False Alarms Vs. Real Threats**

James Potter pulled his wool cloak tighter around his neck and then stuck his hands in his pockets, trying desperately to grasp onto some of the limited heat escaping his body. It was the second week of December, and it was cold, and the last thing he wanted to be doing was what he was currently doing—walking outside in the cold air in the rainy winter night. But James had work for the Order he was trying to accomplish—his task assigned to him from Dumbledore. So far James had been relatively successful in his efforts, but the people Dumbledore had asked him to investigate were getting farther and farther up the ladder in the Ministry, and therefore, it was getting harder and harder for him to track and spy on the people with out being detected. It was easy to discover that David Balmer was a Voldemort sympathizer, if not an outright supporter, but David Balmer was only the custodial worker in charge of keeping the Ministry lavatories spotless—a job he had done well, James admitted. But Dumbledore had assured James that every person James could discover and track would help build cases against them that could land them in Azkaban, and not out supporting Voldemort. However, James could tell that when he had been able to overhear a conversation Yvonne MacNair had been having with known Death Eaters Dumbledore had been noticeably more pleased. Yvonne MacNair was one of the junior ministers of the Department of Magical Transportation. She had been watching over certain ministry fires and making other ones conveniently private for Death Eater activity. She was currently in a cell in Azkaban, awaiting her trial. So James kept his head up, and worked on his latest—and last, at least for now---person. A person relatively high up in the Ministry—a person James was eager to out as a Death Eater. Ingemar Mulciber, Head of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. However, the case on Mulciber was just now forming, so it was vital that James find accurate information without disclosing that Mulciber was under investigation.

James sighed and kept on walking, trying to not think about all of the things he would rather be doing. Eating dinner with Lily, for example, or playing a game of Exploding Snap with Sirius and Remus and Peter…inside, where it was warm…

Suddenly James' thoughts—the ones he was trying not to have, at least—were halted. He saw two men in thick black cloaks coming towards him, unaware of him, for the most part, talking to one another in hushed voices. They did not even glance at James as they turned and entered a pub on the corner. James was on their tracks; sure that one of them was Mulciber, going to his casual meeting with a few Death Eaters, probably just to have a few drinks and shoot the breeze, talk and smile about the latest muggle killings, no doubt. James felt his insides curl with a mix of anger and anxiety. He waited a few moments before entering the bar, in case he looked suspicious. Unfortunately, as soon as he entered the pub—a shady place in Knockturn Alley that he had never been in before, the grubby-looking barman immediately walked up to him.

"No underage wizards tonight." He said forcefully, wearing a scowl as he wrung the rag he had been cleaning glasses with aggressively, squirting brownish water on to James' new trainers.

James was indignant. He didn't look under seventeen…did he? He should have grown out a beard for the occasion.

"I'm not underage." James replied, honestly, attempting to be discrete. The last thing he wanted was for the group of what he knew must be the street-clothed Death Eaters meeting in the corner to notice him.

The barman laughed. "Yeh, right. Well even if you turned seventeen two weeks ago and your testicles have dropped, you don't belong in here. So get out."

James racked his brain for something to reply with, something charming and winning, something that could tell this man that James really was a down-trodden hard-working, shady man like him, just eager for a drink after a grueling day. But James wasn't stupid, and he could tell that not even his superb bullshitting skills he had gained over the years of being one of Hogwarts' most notorious trouble makers was not going to get him a seat at the bar. So he nodded.

"Fine." He said, trying to look not too disappointed. "I'll get a drink somewhere else. And mind, I'll tell my friends that the service here is something to be desired."

James didn't wait for the barman's response, he was sure it would be sarcastic and infuriating, so he turned and left, thinking hard for another way into the pub.

Once outside, he looked around the dangy building, but there weren't any accessible windows…just a backdoor. James sucked in his breath. As improbable it was at being successful, he should at least try.

He approached as quietly and discreetly as possible, checking the alleyway for anyone approaching. He turned the knob, it didn't turn a millimeter. James pulled out his wand.

"Alohomora."

It unlocked.

Unfortunately, he also heard two sets of feet scuffling against the ground. One approaching the back door from the inside and one coming from the street. James cursed himself for not bringing his invisibility cloak—Lily had asked to borrow it, or rather, James had forced it upon her to carry around at all times—and he made the quick decision to back out casually into the streets. It wasn't worth it to be rash and reckless. He made his way back out of the alleyway before any questions could be asked, and he apparated back to Muggle London.

* * *

James arrived on the outskirts of his flat building. It was just as sopping wet in London as it had been in Knockturn Alley, and even colder, as the night was getting darker, and when James looked up he could see large, billowing snow clouds forming. He shivered and then made his way inside to the warmth and dryness of his flat. 

Nothing could have really prepared James for what awaited him. After a long day of training and then right on to Order business, he was tired and just wanted to get into the safety of his home. It wasn't so much the disarray of the flat that sent shivers down his spine, his possessions flung all around his room, his furniture smashed…it was that no one was there. It was nearing eight-thirty, and it was a Tuesday. Sirius was supposed to be home, undoubtedly as tired and worn out as James was. At the threat of his best friend being in danger yet again, James apparated to the first place on his mind, panic setting in, although he tried to reason with himself, Sirius couldn't be dead, there was no Dark Mark hovering over the complex…

* * *

The urgent, relentless pounding at the door alerted everyone in the sitting room, and the conversation and laughter immediately stopped. Lily sucked in her breath, anxious at who would be at her threshold and what news they had. She knew James had Order duties tonight, and she had been on tenterhooks all evening, therefore, she had distracted herself with charming company. 

"Lily—let me answer."

"I'll get it."

"No, I've got it." Lily said forcefully, a blazing look in her eyes so fierce that no one bothered to argue with her.

"Who's there?" she asked in a half-whisper.

"It's James! Let me in!" came her fiancé's voice, in such a panic that she didn't hesitate to open the door without asking anymore questions.

"James!" Lily cried at the state of the man in front of her. The color had left his face and his hair was sticking up even more violently than usual.

"I think they have Sirius!" he said, not even greeting her with his usual kiss, and striding past the threshold. "We've got to find him, they've—"

"James! James!" Lily tried to get his attention, finally resorting to lunging herself at him, grasping him around the shoulders and holding him straight so that she could look him dead in the eye. "He's here, James. Sirius is here. He and Charlotte and I were all just having some tea, everything's fine."

"He's here? He's all right?" James said, his breathing slowing and his face relaxing. He seemed to take in his surroundings for the first time, and he noticed Sirius standing with Charlotte in the corner.

"Padfoot!" James exclaimed, relief setting in at the site of his best friend. Sirius approached him eagerly.

"Are you all right mate? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, anxious from his friend's frantic behavior.

"Our flat…it's completely trashed. It's been ransacked…I thought they had gotten you…there wasn't a Dark Mark, but I don't know, you weren't there, I figured you would be, I'm glad you weren't…" James then embraced Sirius for a few solid moments before releasing him. "I'm glad you're okay."

Sirius nodded. "I am too. I wonder what they wanted, what they were there for…"

"I thought that was obvious enough." Lily said. "They were looking for one of you, or both, it's not like either one of you are on Lord Voldemort's good side."

"You didn't hear?" James replied, smiling with relief. "We're going to be playing Quidditch together. Yeah, we had a bit of a chat---well, at first he wanted a Chaser position, but I think he really fit better as a beater."

Lily couldn't laugh.

"James don't joke, this is serious, someone wants you, and it looks like when they get you they won't be very happy."

"Well loads of people want James, Lily." Sirius said, smiling slightly. "Or have you forgotten Hogwarts?"

Lily folded her arms. She couldn't believe James and Sirius were being this dismissive about the situation. "This isn't the time for that, Sirius. There is quite a big difference between the hormonal teenage girl population of Hogwarts and the murderous Death Eaters."

"But we're okay, Lily, we're all right, we've escaped them." James said, trying to sound calm and soothing. It wasn't working.

"ARE YOU BLOODY KIDDING ME?" Lily shouted, letting her arms break free from each other and fly in the air with forceful exasperation. "WHAT'S THIS _WE'VE ESCAPED THEM_ HORSESHIT! IT'S VOLDEMORT, JAMES. HE DOESN'T LET SOMETHING ESCAPE HIM AND GO 'OH, DAMN! BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, LET'S PUT ON A KETTLE!' HE DOESN'T LIKE BEING OUTSMARTED, JAMES! QUIT BEING AN IDIOT!"

By the time Lily was yelling at the boys, her cheeks had a healthy red flush and her nostrils were flaring.

James was speechless. He hadn't had Lily's full wrath directed towards him in a long time. It was as humbling as it always had been, and James immediately sobered up.

"I'm sorry, Lily." James said quietly, preparing for another attack. Sirius had slipped back into the corner with Charlotte—both of them looked rather apprehensive. James, however, stood his ground, like he always did.

Lily's anger ebbed, and her lips quivered as she folded her arms together, bringing them close to her body, as if they alone were security enough against the evils of the world. "James, someone is after you, or Sirius, and they aren't going to stop until they find you. And if it is the Death Eaters, they won't take rejection well. They will try and kill you…"

James nodded and he walked towards Lily, putting his arms around her and holding her tightly against his body.

"We're going to go back to the flat—" He paused as Lily began to protest, but he continued. "Sirius and I, we'll go back, see if we can find anything to tell us what they wanted, then we'll meet you back here, and we'll stay here the night. Then tomorrow we'll go to the house, hardly anybody knows we've bought a house. It'll be fine." James said all this with a strong, confident voice, and it eased Lily, although she didn't really feel like any of her worries had gone.

"You can't go back there, they've just—"

"They won't come back tonight, it's too soon." James said, as if he really knew how the minds of Death Eaters worked.

Lily sighed in resignation. "I want to come with you."

"No, you'll stay here." James retorted.

"If they do come back to your flat they'll have more, and the two of you will be no match for all of them…"

"Half of them are currently at a meeting in a pub in Knockturn Alley, Lily, they must have hit up my place hours ago, when they thought I'd just be back from training, unaware. You need to stay here, with Charlotte."

Lily wasn't going to give up that easily, so she continued they're subtle argument. "I'm going with you, James. If you're going, I'm going. I'll be worried sick until you get back, and besides, they know I live here, no where is safe. We're both going with you two." Lily chanced a look towards Charlotte, making sure she was up for the adventure. Charlotte nodded defiantly at her cousin.

"Fine." James said tersely, he could never resist Lily. "Let's hurry up, I want to get back so I can send an owl to Dumbledore, let him know what's up."

"That's the first good idea you've had all night." Lily said, giving way to a small grin.

* * *

They ended up at the mess and devastation that was James and Sirius' flat. 

"Merlin." Sirius said, his eyes falling on the mess. He knew it would be bad, but nearly everything was destroyed—even his favorite chair. It was a good thing that he had never cared much for material possessions.

Lily gave the smallest of whimpers as she imagined what it would have been like if James had come home straight from training.

Charlotte followed closely behind Sirius, waving her wand in an effort to tidy up a bit, although she would admit that it was rather pointless.

James ignored the remnants of his belongings for the most part, determined to find a clue or a message or anything that would tell him who was there and what they were looking for.

He didn't have to look long. Once he had entered the kitchen it was clear who had come and what their purpose was. Floating in the air as if it had been spray painted on an invisible wall were the words:

_We've come for you, Potter. Join us, or we'll be back._

There was no signature, but just under the writing floated a neon green skull, a snake moving through its mouth and around its head.

Behind him, James heard someone gasp. He knew it was Lily. He put an arm around her and looked from the writing to her, watching her face as she stared at the message.

"Well that clears that up." He said. "I'll just grab a few things and we'll go back to your place, Lily."

Lily nodded, turning her gaze to James and letting her burning green eyes meet his defiant hazel ones.

"We're really going to have to be careful now."

James nodded and went to gather his things before he could think too much about it.

* * *

An hour later, after returning back to Lily's and Charlotte's and having a drink to relax themselves, James lay in Lily's bed, exhausted but unable to sleep. He lay with his arms folded behind his head and gazing straight ahead, moving his foot slightly under the covers and watching Lola, Lily's now full size cat, chase after the possible prey. She attacked his foot, biting and scratching at the thick comforter covered foot, not inflicting too much pain on James. 

Lily stood at her dresser taking out her earrings in her process of getting ready for bed. She soon joined James, pulling the covers up to her chest and sitting up beside him.

"Are you all right?" Lily asked quietly.

James nodded as he took off his glasses and put them on the night stand.

"How did it go this evening?"

James smiled and rubbed his tired eyes. "Do I look at least seventeen to you?"

She raised an eyebrow and looked him over. "Yes, you look older than you are, actually. At least I've always thought so."

"Well the barman at the pub thought I was underage and he wouldn't let me in." James said, chuckling softly.

"Oh no! So you weren't able to see—"

"I saw Mulciber go into the pub with another wizard, I saw him in there with a group of people, probably Death Eaters, before being kicked out, at least. It's all right though, I'll have plenty of chances to out him for what he is…although I'd rather it is sooner than later…"

Lily nodded. "You'll get him—and look at it this way…if they were there, and they had just come back from your flat, they don't know you're tracking him."

"That is a good point." James agreed, as some of the tightness that had built up in his chest relaxed. He turned to Lily and put a hand on her cheek and stroked her skin softly with his thumb before kissing her. "How is your task coming along?" he asked when they parted.

Lily smiled brilliantly.

"I was able to finish my file on Nott today during my lunch break…I've got five years worth of information that ties him to financially backing the Death Eaters…"

"No way!" James cried, pleased and smiling. "How did you get that much information so quickly…surely you had to go to Gringotts…which is controlled by those terrible goblins who wouldn't give information to anyone!"

"Who said anything about having to go through the goblins?" Lily asked, grinning slyly.

James raised his eyebrows and Lily continued.

"Alls I had to do was persuade the translator to give me the information, and you know how charming and sweet I can be." Lily grinned at the sight of James' face—a mingled expression of admiration and disbelief. "In the end, Burt Stevens thought Nott was my dying brother, and that he had requested me to get his files and statements before he made out his last will."

"Did you cry for effect? Let a tear fall dramatically down your cheek?" James questioned, fully sitting in bed now, gazing at Lily, smiling.

Lily beamed. "Well it really added to my performance, I think." James laughed, before springing up and pouncing on her, laughing still as Lily tried to fight against his body hovering over hers.

"We've got to go to bed, James…it's really late and we have to be up early tomorrow—" Lily tried to reason, but failing, as James had resorted to tickling her sides, two of her most ticklish spots.

"No really!" she yelped, tears of mirth rolling down her cheeks before she managed to kick James in the knee.

"Ow!" James exclaimed, trying his best to look hurt and injured, but unable to keep the grin off his face. "Fine, fine…we'll go to sleep."

Just as James was moving away from Lily in his attempt to get back over to his side of the bed, Lily had yanked him by his shirt back down on top of her.

* * *

Poll: If you could do anything to change the world, what would it be? 

**Much thanks to my readers and especially my reviewers:**

**LazyLilies, grannyHPfan, glowing-ice, dancergrl19, WhiteCamellia, An Aspiring Author, elise bentwin, and Princess Elcipse.**

**And of course, thanks to my beta, who I appreciate greatly even though I forgot to thank you last chapter. Mucho love!**


	31. One Hell of a Christmas

**A/N: Hey guys! Just a few days before Deathly Hallows! Woo.! I have to work all weekend…I'm not looking forward to it. I'll be right of work and then speeding to the local Barnes & Nobles…maybe I'll get someone to stand in line for me. So I have a bit of good news/bad news…this is the second to last chapter of The Flawed. I know I said I'd have this one go till that fateful Halloween night, but I really need a break. I may continue this story in a third part, though, so don't be too distraught. Haha. Anyways, nice poll question answers last time—my favorites were ending poverty and ending global warming, being a bit of an environmental humanitarian myself. Oh, poll for this chapter—Do you think JKR will kill of Harry, Ron, and/or Hermione? I know you all want to answer that one! Well read and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter Thirty-One: One Hell of a Christmas**

James, Lily, Sirius, and Charlotte moved in to house that James had bought months before the next day. Lily (with the help of Sirius) had long since decorated the place and furnished it accordingly, but between the mishaps with the Order and thwarting Voldemort, she had not yet had the chance to surprise James with their home.

He had loved the house the way Lily had made it, commenting on the furniture arrangement and the colors of the walls, although really, he would have loved it any which way, not really knowing anything about interior design, and was just happy that Lily would be living here with him. They had given Charlotte and Sirius the guest room, although they both swore they were only staying a few days, and that they would be gone for sure by the time the wedding rolled around, which was to happen in a few weeks time. James had insisted that they stay as long as necessary, to which Sirius gave him a dogged expression, claiming that he did not want to be around for the honeymoon stage, all the while winking and jabbing James in the ribs. James had hit him across his head, and Sirius shut up about the subject, temporarily.

Lily enjoyed having her fiancé and friends in her house, it made time slip by so much faster and it made the work for the Order so much more bearable, being able to know that when she got home there would be comfort and love. The next week and a half passed by very quickly, although James was no closer to outing Mulciber as a Death Eater, he had been successful in following him around and discovering his habits, the places he stopped at on the way home from the Ministry and the people he met there. James had informed Dumbledore what had happened to his flat, and Dumbledore had come personally to their new home, helping Lily put all sorts of defensive charms and spells on the house to keep it more protected. He had even suggested the Fidelius Charm, but Lily and James had been adamant against using it—they would be entirely isolated from the Order and helping stop Voldemort, and James felt that they would be skirting their responsibilities. Dumbledore had dropped the subject, and looked slightly relieved that they had decided against it. Between Order meetings and working on their separate tasks, Christmas snuck up on them quite suddenly, so Lily found herself decorating furiously Christmas Eve, before their small group of friends came for dinner the next day.

"James, can you help me please?" Lily called from their sitting room, a slight note of panic lining her words.

James had just returned from his evening task of tailing Mulciber and came home to find his fiancée trying to control a small herd of hyperactive pixies zooming around their downstairs. Sirius was currently trying to stun the few who were trying to make it upstairs and Charlotte was screaming as they pulled at her fine black hair.

He quickly pulled out his wand and began stunning as many as possible. Soon, the room was littered with frozen pixies.

"How did they get in here?" James asked, pulling an immobile pixie out of Lily's red hair.

Lily, panting, pointed at Sirius. "The tree he brought in hadn't been checked for inhabitants."

Sirius shrugged and looked apologetic. "Sorry…I've never had the task of getting a Christmas tree before."

Charlotte, free from the ravishing pixies, went to the bathroom to fix her hair and clean up the many scratches on her hands and face.

"Well, it is a beautiful tree." Lily said, as they all stood back and admired it. "I was putting the garland on when they came out." She pointed to the shredded garland and flicked her wand, repairing the decorations.

"How was dinner at your parents?" James asked, looking slightly guilty. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it…but Dumbledore sent me a last minute message saying Mulciber was known to be meeting a few alleged Death Eaters before going on a Muggle torture spree. It would be their idea of a happy Christmas."

"Did you stop them?" Lily asked, her face lined with apprehension.

"Yes, well, I think so…Frank, Alice, Fenwick, and the Prewett brothers met up with me, and they fought them off well enough to make them think twice about attacking anyone the next couple of days." James's face hardened slightly and he continued somewhat bitterly, "I wish I could have fought them and give Mulciber something to reckon with…but Dumbledore said I couldn't risk being seen."

Lily put her arms around him and rested her head upon his chest. "Don't be so eager to fight them, James. You'll get your turn soon enough. Is everyone on our side okay?" She looked him in the eyes and he nodded.

"Yes, for the most part—Frank got a pretty nasty cut on the side of his face, but it's nothing Alice can't fix. She's pretty amazing about knowing certain remedies for things like that."

Lily nodded. "That's good."

"So how was your parents'?" James asked again, returning the embrace Lily had given him as he pulled his arms around her body.

"Oh, it was all right. Petunia and Vernon were there, so it was a rather dry evening…Mum kept bringing up our wedding and I think it put them in right sour moods…but I can't really tell with them…they always look like they've just been fed lemons."

"Vernon's just jealous that I get to marry you in fourteen days." James said, kissing her on the top of the head.

"Yes, I'm sure that's it." Lily replied sarcastically as she untwined herself from James. "Now will you help me finish decorating? We have a lot to do before tomorrow…I want it to be perfect."

"Oh why did I have to be involved with such a perfectionist!" James complained teasingly. Lily shot him an intimidating stare.

"I don't know mate, but we're all suffering." Sirius replied, well out of reach of Lily's wrath as he strung garland around the banister.

* * *

Christmas Day should have been a good day. In any other place, in any other time, it could have been a happy day. As the world was currently torn between the struggle of good and evil, Lily knew it was naive of her to hope for a regular Christmas, where the meeting of friends, lovers, and family would be a time to celebrate.

The day had started out nice enough, she, James, Sirius, and Charlotte had hopped over to the Potters for a Christmas brunch after opening their presents. No one had gotten anything too expensive or exciting, no one had much time for excessive shopping lately, but everyone had managed to give and get something quite special and meaningful. Sirius had given James three books, one on the Chudley Cannon's Quidditch team (which was both guys' favorite team), one on modern defensive spells (which Lily made a mental note to borrow) and one that James tried very hard not to let Lily see. Being a cunning and creative woman, Lily was able to retrieve the book almost as soon as James had attempted to hide it.

"_What Not to try With Your Other Wand: A Young Wizard's Guide to Preventing Magical Mishaps of the Worst Kind._" Lily read the title, trying to stifle a giggle. "Classy as always, Sirius…I especially like this chapter title…_Engorgio: Don't Even Think About It_..." She turned to James, "Do I have anything to be worried about, Shnukums?"

"NO!" James said, huffily defending himself.

This caused Sirius, Charlotte, and Lily to laugh harder, and James resorted to snatching the book back. "I've never tried anything like this…and I'd like to think that I don't have a reason to." He gave Lily a narrowed glance, to which she immediately tried to stop laughing, but failed, as James was doing such a good job at being offended.

"Anyways, you looked like the real wanker buying it." James told Sirius, who grinned widely.

"Not when I asked to have it gift-wrapped."

The others laughed, but James continued to pout until Lily declared him a more than satisfactory lover and gave him an apologetic kiss on the mouth.

After the laughter had died down and the sitting room was cleared of the wreckage that comes with unwrapping presents on Christmas morning, the foursome set off for James' parents' place. Lily chose to wear her yellow hat and scarf Mrs. Potter had given to her for her birthday and they had a lovely time. Talk of the upcoming wedding continued around the table, and Lily and James, although they were both unaware of the others' feelings, began to get tingling sensations in their bellies that left them antsy all day.

When they finally made it back to their house, there were only a few hours before their other friends would be coming over for supper, so Lily set off frantically for the kitchen, accompanied by Charlotte and a handful of cooking books. James and Sirius weren't quite sure what to do, but eventually decided that they should probably help the girls in the kitchen, although they weren't quite sure if their aid would be more of a hindrance than help.

"James, put the turkey on the table, please." Lily said as she flicked her wand over the potatoes, forcing them to mash themselves into creamy white mounds.

When she first felt the burning sensation on her wrist, she just thought some of the steam from the potatoes had grazed her hand. As the warmth continued, however, she realized it wasn't any steam, but her watch, alerting her to some business with the Order.

She looked over to the table, where James had just sat the Christmas turkey. He was feeling it to, she knew, as his eyes wandered to his left wrist. Sirius soon reappeared in the kitchen with Charlotte, he too looked alert.

"Are you guys ready to go?" He asked them. Lily and James nodded, although Charlotte looked a little more than confused.

"Go where? Aren't Remus and Peter and all of them coming here?" she asked, her blue eyes darting around the room, from Sirius, to James, to Lily, and then landing quizzically on Sirius again.

"We've got some stuff to do, it's a bit of an emergency…it's for Dumbledore." Sirius said, trying to give his usual charming smile. "Why don't you go to James', we'll be back soon."

For a moment they all thought Charlotte wouldn't listen. That she would put up a real fight, which would eat away at the precious time they had. But she seemed to sense the vital nature of their work, and she merely nodded, before disapparating to the Potters'.

* * *

Moments later they found themselves in a small Muggle village far from the cozy home they had been in seconds earlier.

They had apparated on the outskirts of the town, but it wasn't hard to spot where they were needed. In the middle of the village a huge fire blazed, sending clouds of smoke and shrieks into the cold night air.

Without looking at each other they set off as fast as they could to the heart of the village.

Lily looked to the fire to try and figure out what needed to be done. The flames sprang from a muggle apartment complex and a muggle fire truck was currently trying to squelch the flames. These flames, however, were done by magic, and were impossible to kill with mere squirts of water. Before she could reach for her wand, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Easy there!" came a voice that triggered some sort of familiarity within Lily's brain. She turned around to face one of the Prewetts. She couldn't tell which brother it was.

"Death Eaters…I thought we scared them off earlier—I guess not." He said, frowning. "You start with some extinguishing charms—I hear your brilliant in charms—I'm going to look for those bastards, I'm sure they're still around—this is the part they love to watch. Be careful, Evans."

Lily gave him a nod and started swishing and flicking her wand towards the flames, casting the most powerful extinguishing charms she could recall. As the fire started to die down, Lily saw that her charms had been joined by Benjy Fenwick, Emmeline Vance, and Elphias Doge. The muggles that had come to watch the horrific scene stood transfixed at the magic that was currently dousing the fire. Lily gave them a worried glance, but soon saw that Ministry obliviators had arrived, along with Mad-Eye Moody and a team of Aurors.

The fire was soon squelched, although smoke continued to pollute the air. Lily tried spotting James in the confusion, and saw that he was joined by Dorcas Meadowes and they were currently trying to apprehend a Death Eater. They seemed to have the situation under control, as the Death Eater was soon stunned, and Lily made her way to the wreckage, looking for any muggles that remained in the scorched remnants of the building that had held their homes.

"Help me, please, help me!" Lily heard a woman cry. "My baby, my baby!"

Lily looked around for the frantic woman, spotting her in the corner of a charred room that appeared to have held their Christmas tree. Now all that was left was a thick black stick protruding from a tree stand.

"I'm going to help you." Lily said in a voice she hoped was soothing. She approached the woman cautiously.

"My baby!" The woman sobbed harder, and Lily could now see that the woman was cradling something black and burned in her arms—her baby. Lily felt her heart rise into her throat and tears threatening to gush from her eyes. But she held them in. She wasn't quite sure what to do, but she knew that she must not let this woman see her cry. She must be strong.

"Give her to me, I'm here to help, we'll get you both medical attention. Hand her to me, I'll help you." Lily said, trying her best to remain calm.

"No, no!" The woman cried louder. "You aren't going to have her, how can I trust you? How do I know you didn't do this?!" she started shouting, her voice growing louder and louder.

At first Lily was speechless. How did this woman know she could trust her? She had just seen a group of people in cloaks and with wands, things this woman had probably never seen, and they had destroyed her home, almost killed her baby (Lily refused to even think that the baby was dead, although she couldn't ignore it's quiet stillness), and injured her. Why should this woman hand Lily her baby? Lily didn't know much about motherhood, but she had the inkling that if she had been this woman, she would not hand off her baby to just anyone.

"All right, hold on to her, but please, come with me, I can get you both medical care, please, this building is not safe or sturdy."

As if to emphasize her point, the building let out a long groan, as if the boards above them had finally decided that holding all this weight was too much to be expected from them.

"I won't hurt you, let's go." Lily pleaded.

The woman looked down at her baby, and up at Lily, her blue eyes watering. "She's gone. Kill me, please." The woman begged in a hush whisper.

Lily's green eyes were losing control of her tears. "Maybe…maybe not. Come with me, please."

The woman wouldn't budge, and so Lily decided to take matters into her own hands. She put her wand in her cloak pocket and went towards the woman. Lily lifted the lady up, which was a miraculous feat, as she was a bit larger than she was and was no longer cooperating with any movement at all; the woman just cradled her child.

"Lily, are you all right?" came a voice. It was James. His hazel eyes met Lily's, and he looked at the woman Lily was trying to hold, standing against her and threatening to topple over on top of her.

He walked towards them and brought the woman into his arms.

"I've got her," He whispered to Lily. He then heaved her into his arms and walked out the door, looking very much like a young husband carrying his new wife across the threshold to their new home, in a perverse, terrible way. Lily thought she was going to be sick.

* * *

Lily and James arrived back at their home hours later, but they both felt as if it had been a year since they'd been home. It couldn't possibly be Christmas.

James grabbed hold of Lily's hand as they entered their house together. Sirius had gone to fetch Charlotte as he had promised and told them that he'd be spending the night at the Potters. They were all exhausted.

James caressed her hand softly, and Lily looked up at him, but they were both at loss for words.

They had been members of the Order for half of a year now—they had seen muggles being tortured, they had seen people die; they had fought the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. But nothing they had experienced in the last six months was as disturbing to them as tonight had been.

The poor woman had been right. Her baby was dead. When the Healer announced this to the woman, in a soft and sympathetic voice, the woman had shrieked louder than any of the screams they had heard that night.

As they walked through the foyer Lily remembered that they had invited people over for the evening. Peter, Grace, and Remus were all in the Order, so she hadn't given it much thought—she just assumed they would be called into action too. Allison, Jacob, and Ellie, however, were not in the Order, and so she wasn't surprised to find a harassed owl with a note waiting for her. What surprised her was Grace Melbourne, Remus' girlfriend, sitting at the dining room table, looking as worried as anything.

"Grace, are you all right?" she asked, trying not to be frantic. Was Remus hurt? A harsher, wiser voice entered her head. _Was he dead?_

Grace looked up at Lily, her gray eyes sad. "Remus left me." She let out a sigh. "I was hoping I was just dreaming or something, or I don't know…that he had been kidding, that there was a surprise home waiting for us to move in together or something. That if I came tonight, he would show up…but we all got called to do Order business…I couldn't go, I thought he'd show up still, maybe…"

Lily's heart ached. Would this day ever be over? She'd had quite enough. She looked over at James, who had been writing a reply to Allison's frantic note. He was looking very uncomfortable.

"Was there a note? Are you sure he's all right and all? Just getting up and leaving you, that doesn't sound like Remus…" Lily tried to reason, although she would rather have Remus leave Grace on his own accord than him be captive to Death Eaters and Voldemort.

Grace smiled sadly. "Yes, there was a note, I know he left it…it's his hand writing and all…he said it's over, that he has to go away, get out of this place…well, more eloquently than that, you know how Remus is."

"Well, I'm sorry, Grace." Lily said, as compassionately as she could. "Would you like to stay here tonight, Sirius and Charlotte have the guest room, but the sofa folds out…"

"No, no, don't bother." Grace said, standing up from her lonely chair at the dining table. "I better get going…my parents will be worried about me. I thought I'd just make sure he wasn't with you guys…see you, Lily, James."

She got up and gave them what she must have thought to be a convincing smile and it pained Lily to return it. "Good night, Grace. Happy Christmas."

"Yeah, happy." Grace said softly, letting herself out.

Lily let out a long sigh once she was sure Grace was gone. "I can't believe Remus would do that. On Christmas and everything!"

"I'm sure he didn't want to." James replied, talking for the first time on the subject. Allison's owl had finally gone, and he just stood rather stoically in the corner. "Remember what he said Dumbledore wanted him to do, Lily?"

She remembered.

"He's gone to live with the werewolves." She whispered, horrified for Remus' sake. "How terrible. Poor Remus!"

James nodded and sighed before combing his hands through his hair. "This is one hell of a Christmas."

He looked so tired and worn out, he was paler than usual and had large dark bags under his eyes. Lily realized she must not look much better.

"Perhaps we should get to bed?" she suggested, without any real conviction in this offer. She felt so lost at the moment.

James shrugged and looked at his fiancée. "Don't you want to have some of the turkey? You've got to be hungry."

"I really don't think I can eat." Lily said dryly.

"Come on, Lily, I can hear your stomach growling from here. Let's eat." James suggested again, this time a little more forcefully.

"All right, but not too much…my stomach is in knots as it is."

Lily sat down at the chair James pulled out for her and let him make a plate of food for her.

"Happy Christmas," he said, smiling at her as he sat the plate in front of her.

"I don't know about that."

James shrugged as he took his seat. "We're alive, Lily, I think that makes it a happy Christmas."

Lily nodded, thinking James must be right, but not feeling much better.

* * *

It was later that night that she thought of it. In her futile attempts to find sleep, she discovered a plan that seemed like it would relieve one of the many knots that had formed in her stomach that day.

"James," she whispered, tapping him on the shoulder, trying to wake him.

James turned over to face her. He looked like he had just found sleep himself, and Lily felt a little guilty for rousing him. "What is it? Are you all right?" he asked tiredly.

"Yes, I'm fine, but James," She bit her lip in apprehension. "I have an idea."

"Yes?" he asked, reaching over her for his glasses.

"Let's get married."

James raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we already doing that?"

"I know, I know, but I mean. Let's run away and do it. Let's not have a big wedding, with all those relatives my mother invited, it's so public and well, what if there's an attack there? I couldn't live with myself if someone was killed at our wedding."

James looked down at Lily, considering this option. The details of their wedding didn't really matter to him; so long Lily was his bride.

"If that's what you want, Lily. If you're sure, I think it sounds like a fantastic idea." He smiled to show that he really meant it. "Can we talk about it in the morning, though? I really am tired…"

Lily smiled, feeling the happiest she had all night. One of the knots seemed to untangle itself from her stomach and she nodded. "Good night."

* * *

**Don't forget to answer the poll: Do you think JKR will kill off Harry, Ron, and/or Hermione?**

**And thanks to my reviewers: An aspiring Author, Lazy Lilies, JustCallMeDollface, glowing-ice, Lia Amitair, Leanne, Princess Eclpise, messyblackhair66, and elise bentwin!**


	32. A Hopeful Future

**A/N: Alright guys, this is it. The final chapter. I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers. I appreciate it all so much, so thank-you. I meant to post this the 20th, I even had it written, but then my internet went down. And by the time I got it up, I had Deathly Hallows in my hands, and well, I chose to read it...because I didn't want to come on to fanfiction and see stories inspired by DH, thus ruining the book for me. Anyways, have fun reading this…and review, please!**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: A Hopeful Future**

"So he's gone," Sirius said again, letting the words fall out of his mouth lazily, "to join the werewolves."

James nodded yet again. Sirius had been rolling this bit of news around his head and out of his mouth for the last five minutes, as if he was waiting for the information to really hit him, to become real. Peter shuddered in the corner. He accepted Remus' disappearance with a curt nod, and then took his seat in James' sitting room. James had felt it was his responsibility to tell his friends what had happened, and had invited Peter over as soon as Sirius had returned from the Potters'.

"I just thought he would at least owl us or something." Sirius said, "That really doesn't sound like Remus…just leaving like that. He would have told us."

"He couldn't have told us," James reasoned. "It has to be secret; Remus has to blend in completely with the werewolves in order to gain their trust, in order to find out what they're up to. He couldn't have risked letting us know when he left, it was probably very sudden, they probably just came for him and he had to go, he couldn't let them see him using an owl or anything…"

James rambling went on for a good few minutes, and it seemed like he was trying to rationalize his way into believing himself. In the meantime, a dark looked passed over Sirius, one that contorted his usually handsome features into an expression usually worn on less likable members of the Black family. When this look hit Sirius, it never bode well.

"What if he's really joined _him_, James."

James rose to his feet immediately. This accusation accompanied by the use of his first name changed the atmosphere completely. "That's completely ridiculous! Remus wouldn't do that!"

"Well where's the proof?" Sirius asked, also rising. "He just left! We don't know anything about this so-called mission. We don't know anything about it from Dumbledore. He could have just made the whole thing up so he could go off and—"

"That's enough!" James retorted, his tone cold and commanding. "Remus would not do that. He's our friend, and we've got to trust him."

Sirius let out a breath and shrugged, not willing to argue his best friend on this subject.

"Sirius," James started, easing his voice, "Padfoot, I've got to know you trust him."

Sirius shook his fine black hair out of his eyes. It was getting longer, and he didn't plan on cutting it anytime soon. He looked James in the eye—they were almost exactly the same height. He then looked away to Peter, who remained seating and quiet throughout the whole exchange of words between the best friends.

"What do you think, Wormtail?" Sirius asked, his gray eyes boring into Peter's watery blue ones. Peter had to look away, his eyes darting from James to Sirius, trying to decide who he wanted to agree with, rather than what he believed.

"I…I don't know," Peter started, stumbling over his words and both James and Sirius looked down at him. "It _does _look suspicious, " He stopped at the sound of James huffing in indignation. "but, he's our friend—and I trust him." Peter shuddered slightly, waiting for Sirius to lash out for not choosing his side.

Sirius, however, just nodded and looked at James again. "All right," he let out a sigh, putting his hands into his pockets. "I believe in Remus, and I trust your judgment."

"Okay." James replied, glad they were able to agree; arguments with Sirius were by far the worst, right up on top of his unpleasantness-meter as having a row with Lily.

Any tension mingling in the room and spreading through the air ceased, and calm took over the room.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you both." James said after a few moments.

Sirius and Peter looked up immediately, their eyes wide. More bad news?

"Lily and I have decided to alter the wedding plans a bit," he started.

"You're still getting married, right?" Sirius retorted instantly, a look of horror striking his features.

James chuckled and nodded. "Yes, of course…thanks for your concern, Padfoot."

"Well if all that pining and moping for all those years had been a waste—"Sirius started to rant, but James merely waved him silent.

"It's all right, really…it's just, we've decided to jump the gun a little—" James attempted to explain, but was interrupted again by Lily entering the room, taking off her heavy cloak and apparently clueless to Sirius and Peter's presence.

"Merlin, I just want to hurl!" she exclaimed, preparing to vent about her visit to St. Mungo's, where she had gone to check up on the poor childless mother from the previous night's attack, when she was halted by Sirius pouncing on top of her, embracing her tightly.

"You're pregnant!" he said happily, "Oh, you two!" He released her and then rounded on James, hitting him in the arm. "You old dog, Prongs!"

Lily merely looked from Sirius to James, eyes bulging, wondering what exactly she had walked in on.

James laughed again. "No, Padfoot, we're not pregnant." His eyes darted to Lily, "as far as I know, at least."

"I'm not pregnant, Sirius." Lily said loudly, wanting to make no more misunderstandings.

"We've decided to go away and get married, instead of the whole planned thing. We've decided it's best to do it more spur of the moment, safer, at least." James finally divulged, smiling at the confusion that had occurred.

"Oh, all right," replied Sirius, "Am I still best man?"

"Of course—and Peter, I still want you there as a groomsman." James gestured towards Peter, who was being quiet as usual, sitting in his chair.

Peter smiled. "Just let me know when you need me."

"When is this event taking place then?" Sirius asked, looking at James and Lily, who were now positioned cozily in the same chair.

They merely looked at one another.

"We're not really sure," started Lily, "In the next couple of days—I've got to talk to my parents, we want to see Dumbledore, to get his opinion. We were going to go later tonight to see him, actually."

Sirius nodded. "Is it going to be just us?"

Lily shook her head. "A few others will be there, hopefully."

"And am I still allowed to orchestrate a bachelor's party for Jamesie?" Sirius asked, as if this was the most important question regarding the whole situation.

"You better be." James said smiling at Lily as he said so, "I've got to enjoy my last few hours of freedom."

Lily merely looked at James, grinning as well. "Yes, Allison, Ellie, and Charlotte better be throwing me one too. It's my last chance to rendezvous with Gilderoy Lockhart."

James made a face at her before tickling her, as she was incredibly vulnerable, sitting on his lap and sharing his seat. Lily giggled loudly, trying to smack James away, but failing. Peter and Sirius just exchanged a knowing look and smiled to themselves. They were lost in their own world, oblivious to all but themselves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lily let out the deep breath she had been holding.

"There," Beverly Evans as she stepped back from her daughter. "Does it fit all right?"

Lily turned around to face her mother, smiling. "Yes, perfect, actually. Glad I didn't gain any weight, though."

Beverly Evans looked her daughter over, her eyes glistening with tears. "You look so beautiful and grown-up."

Lily hugged her mother. "Don't cry, Mum. You'll make me cry…and I don't want to risk trying that make-up charm again so close to the ceremony starting…I felt like I almost blew my face off earlier…"

"Luckily I'm here to make sure you don't do any permanent damage." Ellie said, coming to stand next to Beverly, looking very elegant in the pale gold bridesmaid dress she was wearing, her dark hair pulled back into a chic up-do. Allison and Charlotte joined her too, both looking exceptionally gorgeous and excited.

"Yes, and good thing I'm brilliant with hair." Allison added, beaming.

Lily grinned. "Thank you guys, so much."

"Oh it's nothing, really." Charlotte started, her blue eyes holding the same mischievous glint Lily recognized James having, "I mean, we didn't want you going out there looking terrible…I mean, James has still got to say 'I do'…"

The girls all laughed lightly, enjoying the simple excitement and happiness of preparing for a wedding ceremony.

"Take a look at yourself, Lily, you're gorgeous." Her mother said, trying very hard to hold back her tears.

Lily walked over to the full length mirror occupying the bathroom. How they all fit in here, Lily didn't know, but she assumed magic had been involved. She gazed at her reflection and grinned, a thousand butterflies swarming in her stomach.

"I can't believe this is happening!" She let out softly, holding the sides of her dress in her hands and turning around to watch her reflection.

She indeed was beautiful, wearing the same dress her mother and James' mother had helped pick out months ago. The dress was white and flowing, making Lily feel quite like a princess. Allison had done her hair, although it hadn't taken much work. Half of her red hair was pulled back into an elegant braid, keeping and loose strands out of her eyes. The rest of the red mass flowed around her shoulders. She wore a small veil, not wanting anything too lacy or gaudy.

"But it is," a voice said. Lily turned around. It was Margaret Potter, James' mother.

Lily embraced her. "Oh thank you so much, Margaret. It's really so nice to be able to get married here! My parents were able to come, that wouldn't have been so easy in any other magical place…"

"Oh I'm glad to have helped. I never thought I'd be able to have my son get married in my own house! But what's the sense of having such a big home if you can't do things like these in them?" said Margaret, smiling. "But we better get ready to start—I just came to make sure everything was all right." She kissed Lily's cheek and then was off. Ellie squealed with anticipation as they heard the organ start the familiar wedding tune.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

James sucked in his breath as the little old witch started at the organ that had been placed in the vast, elegant room James' parents always used for balls and parties.

The room was arranged and decorated for their midnight wedding and about twenty guests had taken seats in the small pews James' dad had conjured for the occasion.

"Ready, mate?" Sirius said quietly from the side of James.

James nodded, and Sirius could tell from his profile that he was grinning.

The procession started with two small children making their way up the aisle, one was Sirius' cousin's daughter, also a disowned Black. She was small and a little perplexed at her task of throwing flowers down the aisle, but with the ring bearer in front of her, she kept focused.

James barely noticed the other members of the wedding party once Lily entered the room, accompanied by her proud-looking father, who appeared to be getting quite accustomed to dress robes. James had to keep him mouth from dropping once his eyes landed on his bride. She looked amazing, simply beautiful, and she was coming closer and closer to him, ready to become his wife.

It seemed to take forever for Lily to reach James, at least from their point of view, and as soon as Patrick Evans left his daughter by James, with a nod and a smile to his soon to be son-in-law, time seemed to have stopped. James stared at Lily, his hazel eyes smiling as much as his lips were. Lily grinned back at him as he took her hand, and it was a good few seconds before they realized the vows had started.

They both turned to face Albus Dumbledore, who, like them, was smiling happily, his eyes twinkling under his half-moon spectacles.

"James, your vows?" Dumbledore said after a moment.

James nodded and looked directly into Lily's emerald eyes, oblivious to everyone else.

"Lily, I knew you were special the moment I first saw you. It took me a few years to realize what the swooping sensation in my stomach and the way my heart rose to my throat when ever you were around meant, and it took me even longer to not act like an idiot around you because of it." He continued as she beamed at him, "I'm so grateful to you for finally giving me a chance. You're such an incredible person, you're brilliant and beautiful, inside and out, and I would like you to be my wife. Together, we can face everything, Lily. With you at my side, I know that we can make it."

Lily had to breathe in slowly after hearing this. She didn't want to tear up as her turn came.

"James, you've seen every side of me. You've seen me furious, you've seen me sad and vulnerable, you've seen me happy—and you've been the cause of all of these emotions—at some point in time." She let out a small, nervous laugh, and James did as well. "But I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. I love you for all that you make me feel, and I know that you're the only person that will ever make me happy. I know we're going to go through hell together, but I wouldn't want it any other way." She continued to smile, and was slightly stunned to see that tears were gathering in James' joyful eyes.

The room seemed filled with love at that second, a few dreamy sighs and noses were blown, and everyone was caught up in the moment.

Dumbledore looked down at the couple and checked his pocket watch. It was eleven-fifty-nine for a few more seconds, 1978 for a few more moments.

"James, you may kiss your bride."

James lifted Lily's veil over her head, and just as the clock struck twelve, his lips reached hers, binding them together as husband and wife, holding them together as one, fierce hope for the future.

As the New Year rang in, Lily and James realized they were leaving any carefree times behind for good. They knew that their lives would never be easy again, but they were prepared to go on, together, fighting Lord Voldemort and ending all fear.

**Thanks to all of my reviewers and to all of my readers that made it this far. I really do appreciate it.**

**No spoilers in the reviews, please. Just thought I'd made a disclaimer, just in case.**


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